Ferdinand Hodler
Ferdinand Hodler (March 14, 1853 in Berne –
May 19, 1918 in Geneva) was one of the best-known Swiss painters
of the 19th century.
At the age of 18, Hodler moved to Geneva to start
a career as a painter. Hodler's early work consisted mainly of landscapes,
but later in his career his work evolved to combine influences from
several genres including symbolism and art nouveau, an approach
that he called Parallelism.
At the end of the 19th century, Hodler approached
the expressionist aspect of his work with coloured and geometrical
figures. However, the most famous pieces of Holder's work portray
scenes in which characters are engaging in everyday life, such as
the famous woodcutter (Der Holzfäller, Musée d'Orsay,
Paris). This picture went on to appear on the back of the 50 Swiss
Franc bank note issued by the Swiss National Bank.
In 1889, Hodler married Berthe Jacques. In 1914
he condemned the German attrocities conducted using artillery at
Rheims. In retaliation for this, German art houses excluded Hodler's
work.
The death of his mistress, Valentine Gode-Darel,
in 1915 affected Hodler greatly and he died on May 19, 1918 in Geneva
leaving behind a number of unfinished works portraying the city.
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