Profile of a girl. Preparatory work for a decorative stain in red and green. - Koloman Moser

A refined graphic study by Koloman Moser, featuring a stylised female profile and organic motifs designed for stained glass.

This work by Koloman Moser, a founding member of the Vienna Secession, demonstrates the artist's mastery of graphic economy and decorative form. Created around 1900, the piece functions as a preparatory study for a stained-glass design, reflecting the period's interest in the synthesis of fine art and applied craft.

The composition features a stylised female profile, rendered with clean, decisive outlines that define the facial features and the cascading hair. Moser employs a restricted palette of muted earth tones, punctuated by the deliberate application of red and dark blue accents within the floral motifs. The hair is treated as a flat, decorative element, merging with the organic shapes of the leaves and fruit to create a unified, rhythmic surface.

Unlike the naturalistic portraiture of the nineteenth century, this image prioritises structural clarity and geometric balance. The influence of Japanese woodblock prints is evident in the bold contours and the flattened perspective, which were common features in the work of the Wiener Werkstätte circle. The artist's monogram, visible in the lower right corner, confirms his authorship of this design.

As a preparatory work, the piece offers insight into Moser's creative process, showing how he translated human form into ornamental patterns suitable for architectural glass. The interplay between the solid red background and the lighter, muted tones of the hair creates a visual tension that is characteristic of his graphic output during this period. This print captures the essence of the Secessionist aesthetic, where the boundary between the decorative and the representational is intentionally blurred to create a harmonious, modern visual language.