Hut in Leysin 1913

Koloman Moser made this pastel drawing of a hut in Leysin in 1912, and right away you can feel the quietness of the scene. The colours are so understated, so lightly applied; it’s as if he barely touched the paper, letting the scene speak for itself. I can imagine him standing there, just him and the hut, the mountains in the distance. What was he thinking? Look at how the lines of the hut are almost tentative, like he’s feeling his way around the form. The colours are so muted, greens and yellows that blend into the landscape. There’s a softness here, a kind of gentle acceptance of the scene. It reminds me of the drawings of Morandi, in the way both artists create a sense of intimacy and quiet contemplation. But it’s also a very modern take on landscape, in the way it captures a feeling more than a literal depiction. It is a reminder that painting is a conversation across time, where artists respond to each other. Each artwork helps us to see and feel the world in new ways.