Semmering Landscape 

Koloman Moser painted this “Semmering Landscape” with oil on canvas, sometime around the turn of the 20th century. His vibrant landscape is not quite abstract, but hardly realistic. Look at the bold brushstrokes and the limited palette, dominated by blues, greens and yellows. Moser was a key figure in the Wiener Werkstätte, or Vienna Workshop, an association of artists and designers dedicated to bringing fine art principles to craft. "Semmering Landscape" could be considered in this light: as an exercise in design as much as a traditional landscape painting. The scene is built up through layers of thin, washy color, with darker tones applied last. The textured effect may have been influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement, which favored visible process as an expression of honesty. Though Moser used traditional art materials and techniques, he pushed them toward an aesthetic that was modern, decorative and widely accessible. In doing so, he questioned the established hierarchy between fine art and craft, demonstrating their common ground.