Butterfly

Koloman Moser prints bring the bold graphic style of the Vienna Secession into your home. Moser was one of the leading artists of the Secession and a co-founder of the Wiener Werkstätte, and he designed everything from posters and magazine pages to fabrics, glass and furniture. This collection gathers art prints of his exhibition posters, Ver Sacrum illustrations, wallpaper and textile patterns, and the paintings of his later years.

About Koloman Moser

Koloman Moser was born in Vienna on 30 March 1868, the eldest of three children. Against his father's wishes he secretly applied to the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna in 1885, and he went on to study at the School of Applied Arts, paying his way with illustrations for magazines. In 1892 and 1893 he taught drawing to the daughters of Archduke Karl Ludwig.

In 1897 he was a co-founder of the Vienna Secession, and he was the lead designer of its magazine Ver Sacrum, contributing about 140 illustrations by 1903. From 1899 he taught at the School of Applied Arts. In 1903 he and Josef Hoffmann founded the Wiener Werkstätte, a workshop producing well-designed glass, silver, furniture, textiles and graphics for the home.

In 1904 he designed the mosaic and stained glass windows for the Kirche am Steinhof church in Vienna, built by Otto Wagner. In 1905 he left the Secession with Gustav Klimt's group and married the artist Editha Mautner von Markhof, and in 1907 he left the Werkstätte. In his last years he turned to painting. He fell ill with throat cancer in 1916 and died in Vienna on 18 October 1918.

Style and Subjects

Moser's design work is clean, flat and rhythmic. He drew on the clear lines and repeating motifs of classical art, turning flowers, fish, butterflies and dancers into elegant patterns in strong, simple colors. His posters and Ver Sacrum pages use bold outlines, stylized female figures and careful lettering.

His later paintings, made after he left the Werkstätte, are quite different: mountain landscapes, clouds, flowers and symbolic figures painted in bright, solid color, as in The Wayfarer and Venus in the Grotto.

Famous Works

• Poster for the 5th Secession Exhibition (1899). A striking poster for the Vienna Secession.
• Die Quelle (The Source) (1900–1902). His three-volume portfolio of patterns for textiles, wallpaper and tapestries.
• Ver Sacrum (1898–1903). The Secession's magazine, which he led as designer.
• Loïe Fuller in the Dance "The Archangel" (1902), Albertina, Vienna. A design inspired by the famous dancer.
• Kirche am Steinhof windows (1904), Vienna. The stained glass and mosaic for Otto Wagner's church; the window over the entrance appears on a 2005 Austrian coin.
• Marigolds (1909), Leopold Museum, Vienna. A flower painting from his later years.
• The Wayfarer (1914), Leopold Museum, Vienna. A symbolic figure in a mountain landscape.
• Venus in the Grotto (1914), Leopold Museum, Vienna. A late mythological painting in strong color.

Decorating with Moser Prints

Moser's patterns and posters suit modern, design-led interiors. A pair of his textile or wallpaper designs makes a striking statement in a hallway, kitchen or home office, and works well with black, white and natural wood.

His Secession posters bring Art Nouveau style to a living room or studio, and his flower paintings and mountain landscapes add bright, calm color to a bedroom or reading corner.

FAQ

What art movement was Koloman Moser part of?

Moser was one of the leading artists of the Vienna Secession, Vienna's version of Art Nouveau, and a co-founder of the Wiener Werkstätte design workshop.

What is Koloman Moser best known for?

He is best known for his graphic designs: Secession posters, his work on the magazine Ver Sacrum, the pattern portfolio Die Quelle, and the stained glass of the Kirche am Steinhof in Vienna.

Where can I see Moser's original work?

The Leopold Museum and the Museum of Applied Arts (MAK) in Vienna hold major collections, and the Albertina and the Belvedere have his works on paper and paintings. His windows can still be seen at the Kirche am Steinhof.

How can you recognize a Koloman Moser design?

Look for clean outlines, flat areas of strong color and repeating motifs such as flowers, fish, birds or stylized women, arranged in elegant, symmetrical patterns.

What was the Wiener Werkstätte?

The Wiener Werkstätte (Vienna Workshops) was founded in 1903 by Moser and Josef Hoffmann. Its artists and craftsmen made glassware, silver, furniture, textiles and graphics designed to be both beautiful and practical.

Related Artists

• Gustav Klimt — fellow Secession founder, whose group Moser followed out of the Secession in 1905
• Josef Hoffmann — co-founder with Moser of the Wiener Werkstätte
• Alfred Roller — Secession colleague and friend
• Joseph Maria Olbrich — Secession architect and designer
• Egon Schiele — younger Viennese artist of the same era