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Wotan and Brünnhilde, c. 1916

Leopold Museum,
Vienna
Oil on canvas
50.5×75.2 cm

Artists

  • Koloman Moser

    (Vienna 1868–1918 Vienna)

Currently on display at OG3
After he had left the Wiener Werkstätte in 1907, Koloman Moser (1868–1918) again focused more strongly on painting, his original métier. The present painting reflects Moser’s love of the theater. The artist depicts a constellation of figures from Richard Wagner’s famous opera The Valkyrie at a crucial moment in the dramatic plot. After the Valkyrie Brünnhilde has defied her father, the God Wotan, he punishes her by taking away her divine immortality, putting her into a deep sleep and banishing her to a fire-ringed mountain. Wotan is depicted in the foreground to the right, holding a spear and looking back at his sleeping daughter Brünnhilde. The bold use of contrasting colors in this work results from Moser’s intense exploration of avant-garde theories of color and perception. He was especially fascinated with the paintings of Ferdinand Hodler (1853–1918), whom he had visited a few years earlier.

LVD, 2024

Object data

Artist/author
  • Koloman Moser
Title
Wotan and Brünnhilde
Date
c. 1916
Art movement
Secession, Symbolism
Category
Painting
Material​/technique
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
50.5×75.2 cm
Credit line
Leopold Museum, Vienna, Inv. 585
Inventory access
Contributed to the Leopold Museum-Privatstiftung in 1994
Selection of Reference works
  • Gerd Pichler: Koloman Moser. Die Gemälde. Werkverzeichnis, Wien 2012.
  • Koloman Moser 1868-1818, hrsg. von Rudolf Leopold/Gerd Pichler, Wien 2007 (Ausst.-Kat. Leopold Museum, Wien, 25.05.2007-10.09.2007).
Catalogue raisonne
  • Pichler 2012: 192
Keywords
man/boywoman/girltragedylying figure (fem.)standing figurelegs aparthelved weapons/polearms (for striking/hacking/thrusting)postures and gestures of arms/handsopen fire

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Provenance

Provenance research
Leopold Museum i

Nachlass des Künstlers, Wien;
Editha Hauska, Wien (1918); (1)
Kunstverlag Wolfrum, Wien (1920); (2)
Wiener Kunsthandel (o.D.); (3)
Dr. Rudolf Leopold, Wien (o.D.);
Leopold Museum-Privatstiftung, Wien (1994)

  1. Rückseite: Nachlassstempel „Koloman Moser“ und Nachlass-Nummer „171“.
  2. Kunstverlag Wolfrum, Katalog zu “Kolo Moser-Nachlass-Ausstellung. 23. November - 15. Dezember 1920.”, Wien 1920, Nr. 171 „Brunhilde und Wotan“
  3. Datenbank des Leopold Museums, Mündliche Auskunft von Dr. Rudolf Leopold an Dr. Patricia Spiegelfeld vom 06.11.2003

For provenance related information, please contact us.

Search in collection

man/boywoman/girltragedylying figure (fem.)standing figurelegs aparthelved weapons/polearms (for striking/hacking/thrusting)postures and gestures of arms/handsopen fire