Ferdinand Hodler
1853–1918 · Symbolism & Art Nouveau
Biography
Ferdinand Hodler (1853–1918) was the leading Swiss painter of his time. Known for his monumental Symbolist figure compositions and his powerful Alpine landscapes, he developed a rhythmic style he called parallelism.
From the artist’s life
Although he spent most of his creative years in Geneva, Hodler was born in Bern. In his late teens he painted souvenir pictures at Lake Thun for the landscape painter Fridrich Sommer, and the picturesque beauty of the region drew him back here in later years too. At that time the Swiss Alps were accessible only to the most determined hikers; by the end of the 19th century, however, the country’s new railway lines criss-crossed the mountains, and many of Hodler’s views were made a short walk from train stops. He made pencil sketches and oil studies on the spot and then finished his paintings in his studio. His sketches from the 1870s are rich in topographical detail and reflect his love of rocks and plants. His later sketches are less detailed, containing only the defining visual elements.
From the page of Lake Thun near Leissigen
Hodler’s life story is an example of the road from rags to riches, and a series of personal tragedies. By the time he painted The Woodcutter he was already a well-known artist living in comfort, but he was born into a very poor family in Bern. After his parents and five siblings died of tuberculosis, an uncle took him into his care. In 1872, at the age of 19, he went on foot, penniless, to Geneva to find an occupation, and he spent most of the rest of his life in the city.
From the page of The Woodcutter
