Loneliness 1902

Editor: We're looking at Koloman Moser's "Loneliness," created around 1902. It looks like an ink drawing, maybe a woodcut. It has this striking starkness. The heavy black ink and simplified forms really give it an isolating mood, don’t you think? What feelings does it spark in you? Curator: Oh, "Loneliness." The title's a bit of a sledgehammer, isn't it? It *tells* you what to feel. But that high-contrast printing, it reminds me of moonlight on snow, casting long, grotesque shadows. It *is* isolating, that's for sure. But isn't there also something almost defiant in the figure's upright posture? Look at the subtle detailing; It's not just sad, it feels potent with the possibility of future growth... the figure looks self-possessed. What do you make of that juxtaposition? Editor: I didn’t really think of defiance. The dark inks surrounding the solitary figure felt… oppressing. I suppose the vertical lines composing much of the illustration, that may signify hope. I am mostly drawn to the medium as something interesting. Do you see his work as largely symbolic, or also informed by an art historical precedent? Curator: That's perceptive. Yes, there’s art nouveau's whiplash lines and symbolism’s heavy themes mingling here. But for me, the power's in its directness. It doesn't fuss with detail. It gets straight to the heart of feeling… vulnerable and imposing simultaneously. Editor: Right! It's that economy of line. Seeing that contrast of dark isolation with those potential symbols of hope definitely broadens my view of this woodcut. I am ready to explore more illustrations now! Curator: Exactly! The genius isn't what is included, but what is purposefully left unsaid, left to simmer in the viewers subconscious! Hopefully the next image does the same for us!