Poster for IX exhibition of Vienna Secession 1901

This poster for the IX exhibition of the Vienna Secession, by Alfred Roller, uses simple means to make a big impact. The color palette is so limited—a brick red and a paler pinkish hue—that it’s almost like looking at a faded photograph, but the power of the image remains undiminished. Look at the way the figure’s limbs become these flattened planes, almost architectural in their simplicity. It’s as if Roller is saying, “Here are the basic building blocks, now let’s see what we can construct.” There is a tension between the flatness of the image and the suggestion of form, in the face, hands and light. The wall in the background is painted in a way that recalls Klimt, whose influence hangs heavy over the Secession movement. The two candles being offered almost feel like an invitation, not just to come to the exhibition but to see art in a new light. Roller knew all about that, as did his contemporary, the designer and typographer Peter Behrens, who like Roller was a master of art as communication. I find these Viennese artists fascinating as they’re constantly having a conversation about how we see, and how we understand the world around us.