Stamp Design Empress Zita (not accepted) 1917

Koloman Moser designed this stamp of Empress Zita, though it wasn't accepted. Look closely. What do you see? I see a conversation between precision and decoration. The clean lines of Zita's profile contrast with the ornate border around the portrait, where geometric shapes mingle with organic leaf forms. I imagine Moser, pen in hand, carefully rendering each line, each curve, trying to capture not just a likeness, but the essence of imperial dignity. What was it like to try to imagine the 'essence of imperial dignity'? The graphic nature of the design speaks to a moment of cultural transition, where traditional portraiture meets modern design principles. It makes me think about the push and pull that all artists experience, the tension between representation and abstraction. And somehow, each artist is always speaking to one another across time.