Carl Moll

In the possession of the family of the present owner by the early 1930s; thence by descent

Possibly, Vienna, Künstlerhaus, 1926 (titled Der Frühstückstisch)

The canvas has not been lined. Ultraviolet light reveals some small strokes of retouching in the tablecloth in the lower-left quadrant and some tiny pinhead-sized spots to the left of the signature; there also appear to be some further spots, notably in some of the red pigments of the flowers, which appear to be retouched but do not fluoresce clearly under U.V. light. Apart from some tiny spots of paint flaking below the vase, this painting is in good condition, with beautiful impasto. Held in a simple pale gilt frame.
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A pupil of Carl Haunold, Christian Griepenkerl and Emil Jakob Schindler, Carl Moll became a driving force in the Viennese art world, co-founding the Viennese Secession with Gustav Klimt, Joseph Maria Olbrich, Josef Hoffmann and Koloman Moser. He was also a founding member of the Wiener Werkstätte. He organised major exhibitions at the Belvedere and the Kunsthaus, including a seminal Impressionist exhibition in 1903 and a series of Kunstschau exhibitions from 1908 to 1909.

Initially influenced by the poetic realism of Emil Jakob Schindler, Carl Moll’s style evolved into a colourful Impressionism inspired by his French contemporaries. He was particularly interested in depicting the changing seasons and associated play of light.

Primarily known for his sunlit landscapes and still lifes, Moll painted a number of interiors depicting dining tables from 1899 onwards. In these he particularly enjoyed the challenge of capturing the synthesis of natural and artificial light caught on pristine, white tablecloths, crystal glasses, silver cutlery and crockery.  The breakfast table in the present work is at once familiar and festive, and possibly indicative of the importance Moll, whose personal life had been overshadowed by family tragedies from an early age, gave to family life and its joyous everyday gatherings and rituals.