Stage design for 'The Phantom' of Hermann Bahr 1913

Koloman Moser made this stage design for Hermann Bahr’s ‘The Phantom’ using pencil and watercolour. I love how the colour palette is muted, almost ghostly, which really suits the play's title, right? You can see the artist felt the process of artmaking as a way of creating atmosphere. Looking closer, you can see the material aspects of the work: the texture, the colors, and the surface. It's interesting how the watercolor is applied in thin washes, creating a sense of transparency and layering. The brushstrokes are visible, but they don't dominate. The artist’s process is subtly revealed, allowing us to glimpse the thinking behind the image. My eye is drawn to the curtains; their folds and drapes rendered with such delicate detail. They seem to frame the scene, inviting us into a world of drama and intrigue. It reminds me a little of the work of Gustav Klimt, another Austrian artist who was exploring similar themes of beauty, illusion, and the human psyche around the same time. It makes you think about art as a conversation, an ongoing exchange of ideas across time and space, doesn't it?