"Arachne" upholstery design from the portfolio "Surface Decoration" 1902

Curator: This is Koloman Moser's "Arachne" upholstery design, part of his "Surface Decoration" portfolio, housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. The design itself presents a repeating pattern in what looks like a printed medium. Editor: It strikes me as both ornate and slightly unsettling. The tight repetition and that warm, almost metallic, orange against the dark ground create a distinctly opulent, yet somewhat claustrophobic feel. Curator: The name "Arachne" immediately calls to mind the mythological weaver who dared to challenge Athena. So, to have this name associated with upholstery suggests a connection to craft, skill, and perhaps even a hint of hubris regarding artistry. Editor: It's fascinating how Moser translates that ambition into a design intended for mass production. The material reality is that it moves beyond individual craftsmanship and becomes part of a larger industrial process, influencing domestic spaces. Curator: And that very tension – the high-art mythological reference applied to a utilitarian design – is what makes it so compelling. It elevates the everyday and imbues it with layers of meaning. Editor: Precisely. It makes you think about the cultural forces at play in even the most functional of objects. Curator: Indeed. It gives us pause to consider the interwoven narratives of myth, craft, and design.