Blossoming little tree (section)

A flowering tree takes center stage in this 1912 painting by Koloman Moser, a founding member of the Vienna Secession in Austria. Pink and white blossoms crowd the slender branches, spreading out against a background of rich green grass and leaves. Moser layered his paint thickly, so the petals almost feel raised off the surface, and his lively brushwork gives the whole scene a warm, sunny energy. Down in the lower right corner sits his tiny monogram, easy to miss at first glance.

Most people know Moser as a designer rather than a painter. Over his career he created furniture, postage stamps, stained glass, and much more, always favoring clean lines and bold geometric patterns. Toward the end of his life, though, he leaned into painting, and works like this one show him letting go of that strict order for something freer and more relaxed. The picture captures a small seasonal pleasure, a young tree in full bloom, the sort of sight that fills a garden briefly before the petals drop and spring moves on.