Moser was born in
Vienna in 1868 to parents Josef and Thresia Moser (née Hirsch); he was the oldest of three siblings. studied at the
Wiener Akademie and the
Kunstgewerbeschule, where he also taught from 1899. Moser's designs in architecture, furniture, jewellery, graphics, and tapestries helped characterise the work of this era. He drew upon the clean lines and repetitive motifs of classical Greek and Roman art and architecture in reaction to the Baroque decadence of his turn-of-the-century Viennese surroundings. Between 1900 and 1902, he published with
Martin Gerlach and
Carl Otto Czeschka a three volume portfolio titled
Die Quelle ("The Source") of elegant graphic designs for such things as tapestries, fabrics, and wallpaper. In 1903, Moser and his colleague
Josef Hoffmann founded
Wiener Werkstätte, whose studios and artisans produced a number of aesthetically and functionally designed household goods, including glassware, flatware, silverware, rugs, textiles and graphic designs. His sketches and preparatory drawings for fabrication have been archived. He became recognized in Vienna as influential applied artist capable of
two-dimensional and
three dimensional design. In 1904, he created the
Apse mosaic and glass windows for the
Kirche am Steinhof in Vienna, and designed the decoration of the Medallion House of the
Linke Wienzeile Buildings for architect
Otto Wagner. In 1905, together with the
Klimt group, he separated from the
Vienna Secession. The same year, he married
Editha (Ditha) Mautner von Markhof, an artist in her own right as well as the daughter to one of Austria's great industry fortunes. Due to internal conflicts and as his plans for reorganising the Werkstätte (to cope with financial problems) weren't realised, Moser withdrew from the Wiener Werkstätte in 1907. Moser became ill with throat cancer in 1916. Correspondence with
Alfred Roller detailed Moser's despair over who would succeed to his position at the
University of Applied Arts Vienna. Moser died on 18 October 1918; he was buried three days later in the
Hietzing Cemetery. ==Legacy==