Ferdinand Hodler
Born – Berne, Switzerland 1853
Died – Geneva, Switzerland 1918
Ferdinand Hodler was, with Arnold Böckin, the leading Swiss painter of the nineteenth century. He settled in Geneva in 1871, where he studied landscape and figure painting. His early work consists of landscapes, portraits and large allegorical and historical compositions. A visit to Paris in 1891 exposed him to the work of Corot and Courbet, but ultimately his flat, linear and sometimes decorative style owed more to Symbolism and Art Nouveau. In the 1880s Hodler’s deep spirituality led him to develop a theory of Parallelism, which stressed the underlying unity rather than the diversity of all natural things. He was especially drawn to Alpine scenery and painted many views of the Swiss mountains around Lake Thun. These landscapes from the last ten years of him life, are thought to be his finest work. The elemental, timeless quality of nature is emphasized in this full-frontal view. The blue and purple tones in which the lake, mountains and sky are rendered help to imbue the scene with a sense of harmony and order.
Masterpieces:
- The Chosen One
- Day
Text: The A-Z of Art, Nicola Hodge and Libby Anson
Books About ferdinand hodler
Ferdinand Hodler
Oskar Batschmann
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Ferdinand Hodler: Landscapes
Ferdinand Hodler
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Hodler (Gallery of the Arts)
William Hauptman
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