Student Artwork Guide

Name Class Date

Koloman Moser, Cyclamen (1907). Public domain. See this canvas under a moving light: the drawing, the true colour under the varnish, the bare pigment

The facts

Artist: Koloman Moser topimpressionists.com/en/artists/koloman-moser/
Artist’s dates: 1868 – 1918
Painted: 1907
Original size: 50 x 50 cm
Movement: Naive Art / Primitivism Work by artists without formal training, flat and direct, valued for exactly that freshness.

Copyright This work is in the public domain. Koloman Moser died in 1918; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death, so it ended in 1988.

Cyclamen — Koloman Moser

How big is it?

The original measures 50 × 50 cm (height × width), drawn here beside an adult of average height.

When was this painted?

1860
1870
1880
1890
1900
1910

Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span — 0 at birth, 50 at death.

Painted when the artist was 39. The artist lived to 50. 94 of the 153 dated works by this artist in our catalogue came earlier.

Shaded: the lifetime of Koloman Moser (1868–1918) ▲ this work, 1907 every dated painting, decade by decade

First works: up to 1899 Main working years: 1899–1912 Late works: from 1912

Those three bands split the works this catalogue has a date for into a first quarter, a middle half and a last quarter. They are not the artist’s complete output: a thin stretch may be a gap in the record rather than a quiet spell. The same years with the artist’s life laid along them

Compare with

Poster of the Beethoven sonatas evening, 1908 topimpressionists.com/en/art/koloman-moser-poster-of-the-beethoven-sonatas-evening-8XYDUC-en/
Self Portrait in Colonial Dress, 1910 topimpressionists.com/en/art/koloman-moser-self-portrait-in-colonial-dress-8YDU3P-en/
Loïe Fuller in the Dance , 1902 topimpressionists.com/en/art/koloman-moser-loie-fuller-in-the-dance-D3WV8B-en/

Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.

More works to set beside this one: topimpressionists.com/en/art/similar/koloman-moser-cyclamen-8XYDUT-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

Main colour

Walnut #7e6239

Catalogued palette

#7E6239
#44311F
#E2C990
#B09259

These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour

Palette: Dark The dominant colour family in the image.
Main colour name: Walnut
Intensity: Vivid How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
Contrast: Bold How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
Harmony: Unified Palette How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
Brightness: Balanced How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
Saturation: Balanced Soft How pure and strong the colours are, from near-grey to fully vivid.

Where in the world is this painting looked at?

under 1%
1–3%
3–8%
8–20%
20% and over

This painting alone has too few recorded visitors to map, so the plate reads every work by Koloman Moser over the last twelve months — 10 countries in all. Where these figures come from

The ten leading countries

1 China 65.4%7,000 visits
2 Germany 7.5%800 visits
3 Hong Kong 6.5%700 visits
4 Singapore 5.6%600 visits
5 United States of America 5.6%600 visits
6 Brazil 4.7%500 visits
7 France 1.9%200 visits
8 Armenia 0.9%100 visits
9 Italy 0.9%100 visits
10 Ukraine 0.9%100 visits

Find the three darkest countries on the map. Is the museum that keeps this painting in any of them? Write down one reason people far away might look at it.

The 20 most looked-at works by Koloman Moser

1 Fabric design for Backhausen, 1899 7.0%900 visits
2 Semmering Landscape 6.2%800 visits
3 Self Portrait in Colonial Dress, 1910 5.5%700 visits
4 Design for the bill of 50 crowns, 1911 5.5%700 visits
5 Poster for Fromme's Calendar, 1899 3.9%500 visits
6 Loïe Fuller in the Dance, 1902 3.9%500 visits
7 Picture book for the niece of Ditha Mautner von Markhof, 1904 3.1%400 visits
8 Poster for 'Prince Richard Metternich', 1899 2.3%300 visits
9 Decorative Fabric [“Bird Bülow”], 1900 2.3%300 visits
10 Drafts for metal relief, 1904 2.3%300 visits
11 Sketch of emblem to 'Ver Sacrum', 1898 2.3%300 visits
12 Clash of the Titans, 1915 2.3%300 visits
13 Ornamental Box, 1906 2.3%300 visits
14 Poster of the Beethoven sonatas evening, 1908 1.6%200 visits
15 Portrait of a Woman in Profile, 1912 1.6%200 visits
16 Cyclamen, 1907 this painting 1.6%200 visits
17 Backhausen Interior Texiles, 1899 1.6%200 visits
18 Dancer, 1903 1.6%200 visits
19 Am Steinhof Church, colored sketch of south window 1.6%200 visits
20 Parrot tulips bloomed, 1910 1.6%200 visits

Together these works take 60.1% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 167 works by this artist, of which 70 were looked at at least once. This painting ranks 16 of them, with 1.6% of that attention (200 visits). The same counts, month by month

Bars measure attention, not quality. Pick the work at the top and this one: name one thing that might make a painting famous beyond how well it is painted.

Artist

Koloman Moser

Born in Vienna, Croatia

Early Life and Education

Koloman Moser, born on March 30, 1868, in Vienna, Austria-Hungary (now part of Croatia), was a pivotal figure in the Austrian art scene, particularly renowned for his contributions to graphic art and as a founding member of the Vienna Secession movement. His artistic journey began with formal studies at the Wiener Akademie and the Kunstgewerbeschule, where he later became an instructor from 1899 onwards. This academic foundation proved crucial in shaping his versatile career across various mediums. Moser’s family background influenced his early exposure to art and design, fostering a keen eye for detail and aesthetics that would define his artistic style.

Artistic Contributions: A Multifaceted Career

Graphic Art: Moser's impact on graphic art is undeniable. He designed postage stamps, magazine vignettes, and other printed materials with distinctive geometric patterns and stylized imagery. His designs were characterized by their clarity, elegance, and innovative use of typography.

Fashion and Applied Arts: Beyond graphic design, Moser’s talent extended to fashion, stained glass windows, porcelains, ceramics, blown glass, tableware, silver, and jewelry. This demonstrates his commitment to integrating art into everyday life.

Architecture: His architectural designs, most notably the apse mosaic and glass windows for the Kirche am Steinhof in Vienna (1904), showcase his ability to blend artistic vision with functional design. These works are considered masterpieces of Art Nouveau architecture.

The Wiener Werkstätte and Collaborative Spirit

In 1903, Moser co-founded the Wiener Werkstätte (Vienna Workshop) alongside Josef Hoffmann. This collaborative workshop aimed to create aesthetically pleasing household goods by uniting artists and craftsmen. The Wiener Werkstätte championed a philosophy of “Gesamtkunstwerk” – total work of art – where every aspect of an object, from its design to its production, was carefully considered. Moser’s involvement in the Wiener Werkstätte solidified his commitment to functional beauty and elevated the status of applied arts.

Influences, Development, and Legacy

Moser's artistic development was influenced by several key movements, including Art Nouveau, Symbolism, and the Vienna Secession. He drew inspiration from Japanese woodblock prints, which informed his use of flat planes of color and simplified forms. His style evolved over time, becoming increasingly abstract and geometric while retaining a sense of elegance and refinement. Moser’s legacy is cemented by his designs being immortalized on the Austrian 100 Euro Steinhof Church commemorative coin (2005), recognizing his enduring influence on art and design. He died in Vienna in 1918, leaving behind a significant body of work that continues to inspire artists and designers today. His contributions helped shape the course of modern art and design, emphasizing the importance of integrating beauty into everyday objects and spaces.

Where to read more

The artist Koloman Moser topimpressionists.com/en/artists/koloman-moser/
Similar works More works to compare topimpressionists.com/en/art/similar/koloman-moser-cyclamen-8XYDUT-en/

Find this online

QR code linking to the download page for Cyclamen

topimpressionists.com/en/art/download/koloman-moser-cyclamen-8XYDUT-en/

Cite this artwork

MLA: Moser, Koloman. Cyclamen. 1907, https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/koloman-moser-cyclamen-8XYDUT-en/
APA: Moser, Koloman (1907). Cyclamen [Painting]. https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/koloman-moser-cyclamen-8XYDUT-en/
Chicago: Koloman Moser. Cyclamen. 1907. https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/koloman-moser-cyclamen-8XYDUT-en/
Harvard: Moser, Koloman (1907) Cyclamen. Available at: https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/koloman-moser-cyclamen-8XYDUT-en/

Cyclamen — Koloman Moser

Look closely

Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.

What catches your eye first, and why?
Which colours or shapes create the mood — and what is that mood?
Our catalogue files this work under: flowers. Do you agree? What would you add, or take away?
Look back at Poster of the Beethoven sonatas evening (1908), earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.
Naive Art / Primitivism: Work by artists without formal training, flat and direct, valued for exactly that freshness. Where can you see that in this work?

Your response

Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.

Questions & Answers

What orientation does "Cyclamen" by Koloman Moser have?

The format of "Cyclamen" is landscape. This is useful when planning where a reproduction will be placed.

Is "Cyclamen" by Koloman Moser a light or a dark artwork?

The recorded values for "Cyclamen" by Koloman Moser are: balanced brightness, gentle luminance luminance.

Where do the visitors of "Cyclamen" by Koloman Moser come from?

Statistics about "Cyclamen" by Koloman Moser are on the artwork's Stats page: monthly visits of the artwork, visits of the artist's works, and country and language breakdowns of recent visitors.