Reclining Female Nude (Mileva Roller) 1912

Koloman Moser made this drawing of Mileva Roller sometime in 1912, probably with pencil. I love how economical the marks are here, the way he uses just a few lines to suggest the volume of her body. It’s like he’s feeling his way around the form, mapping it out in delicate strokes. Check out the area around her head and hair. See how the lines are a little more frenetic and scribbled? It's like the energy is building there, contrasting with the calm of her reclining pose. The texture of the paper becomes part of the drawing too, adding a subtle graininess that softens the image. It makes me think about artists like Gustav Klimt, who were also exploring new ways of representing the human form at this time. But where Klimt's work is often opulent and decorative, Moser's drawing feels more intimate, more like a quiet conversation between artist and model. It’s the kind of piece that invites you to linger, to trace the lines with your own eyes, and to imagine the moment it was created.