The breakfast table Art Print | Carl Moll

Carl Moll was a key figure in the Austrian art scene at the turn of the 20th century, known for his refined interiors, quiet landscapes, and involvement in the Vienna Secession movement. Born in Vienna, Moll studied under Christian Griepenkerl and later under Emil Jakob Schindler, whose daughter he married after Schindler’s death—making Moll the stepfather of Alma Mahler.

A founding member of the Vienna Secession in 1897 alongside Gustav Klimt and others, Moll championed modernist ideals and played a vital role in bringing new artistic currents to Austria. While his early works show the influence of Impressionism and the decorative elegance of the Secession, Moll gradually developed a distinctive style marked by geometric compositions, muted tones, and contemplative moods.

He frequently painted serene domestic interiors, portraits, and tranquil landscapes—especially gardens and Viennese scenes—rendered with a quiet psychological depth and strong formal structure. Moll was also instrumental in curating exhibitions that introduced Austrian audiences to French and German avant-garde art.

Though his artistic contributions were significant, Moll’s legacy is complicated by his support for National Socialism later in life. He died in a joint suicide with his daughter and her husband in 1945, shortly before the end of World War II.

Today, Carl Moll’s art is increasingly reappraised for its aesthetic clarity and role in Austria's transition from historicism to modernism.