Reproduction template for the right part of the leaf for Gerlach's love allegories. New Series, Plate 30 1895

Koloman Moser created this reproduction template for Gerlach's love allegories with a lithograph. A melancholic woman is depicted, draped in cloth, head bent in grief and shame. This posture of concealing one's face appears across epochs, from classical sculptures of veiled figures to Renaissance paintings of mourning Madonnas. The gesture speaks to a primal, subconscious desire for protection and invisibility in moments of intense sorrow. Think of the Greek myth of Iphigenia, who covered her face to hide her emotions. The woman's bare foot evokes vulnerability and connection to the earth, a symbol seen in both religious and secular art, from depictions of the Virgin Mary to images of nymphs. The recurring motif of the covered face, combined with the vulnerability of bare feet, powerfully resonates with our collective memory, inviting viewers to confront universal experiences of grief.