Venus in the Grotto

• Koloman Moser (1868–1918)
• c. 1914
• Oil on canvas
• Leopold Museum, Vienna

Venus emerges from the hollow of a cave wearing a veil. Her body is colored in chrome yellow for the highlighted areas and pale purple for the shadows. Moser chose unconventional colors for Venus, her veil, rocks, and flowers. Here, he reinterpreted a theme from Greek and Roman mythology using unique contrasting colors and symbolism. This painting is an evidence of changes to Moser’s style around 1914.