Poster for IX exhibition of Vienna Secession 1901

Alfred Roller made this poster for the Vienna Secession exhibition, and it’s all about pared-down forms and bold choices. I can imagine Roller, sleeves rolled up, mixing that fleshy pink paint, maybe feeling the weight of the moment, the pressure to create something new. Then he sets about layering up those flat blocks of color. That central figure, rendered in shadow, with those mysterious candles, is so striking, right? It's like he's trying to communicate something profound, using the bare minimum. It reminds me of Klimt’s work, especially in the way it uses symbolic forms to get at something deeper. It’s like he's saying, "Here's the raw nerve, the essential feeling—now what do you do with it?" These artists are all talking to each other across time and space, pushing the boundaries of what painting can be. It's a reminder that art is never really finished, always open to new interpretations.