The Life and Work of Ferdinand Hodler (1853- 1918)
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The life and work of Ferdinand Hodler (1853- 1918) Autor(en): [s.n.] Objekttyp: Article Zeitschrift: The Swiss observer : the journal of the Federation of Swiss Societies in the UK Band (Jahr): - (1973) Heft 1660 PDF erstellt am: 27.09.2021 Persistenter Link: http://doi.org/10.5169/seals-689004 Nutzungsbedingungen Die ETH-Bibliothek ist Anbieterin der digitalisierten Zeitschriften. Sie besitzt keine Urheberrechte an den Inhalten der Zeitschriften. Die Rechte liegen in der Regel bei den Herausgebern. Die auf der Plattform e-periodica veröffentlichten Dokumente stehen für nicht-kommerzielle Zwecke in Lehre und Forschung sowie für die private Nutzung frei zur Verfügung. Einzelne Dateien oder Ausdrucke aus diesem Angebot können zusammen mit diesen Nutzungsbedingungen und den korrekten Herkunftsbezeichnungen weitergegeben werden. Das Veröffentlichen von Bildern in Print- und Online-Publikationen ist nur mit vorheriger Genehmigung der Rechteinhaber erlaubt. Die systematische Speicherung von Teilen des elektronischen Angebots auf anderen Servern bedarf ebenfalls des schriftlichen Einverständnisses der Rechteinhaber. Haftungsausschluss Alle Angaben erfolgen ohne Gewähr für Vollständigkeit oder Richtigkeit. Es wird keine Haftung übernommen für Schäden durch die Verwendung von Informationen aus diesem Online-Angebot oder durch das Fehlen von Informationen. Dies gilt auch für Inhalte Dritter, die über dieses Angebot zugänglich sind. Ein Dienst der ETH-Bibliothek ETH Zürich, Rämistrasse 101, 8092 Zürich, Schweiz, www.library.ethz.ch http://www.e-periodica.ch Che Swiss Obscrocr Founded in 1919 by Paul F. Boehringer The Official Organ of the Swiss Colony in Great Britain Vol.59 No. 1660 : FRIDAY, 11th MAY, 1973 THE LIFE AND WORKOF ^ FEFÖNAND HODLER (1853-1918) Hodler a few more. For both, one reason may have been the fact that they were their own cheapest model. What seems more important however, is the painter's constant urge to confront himself, to examine himself afresh, even to surprise himself, in order to discover what lies beneath the surface. For Hodler, especially in his youth, portrayed himself in the most varied dress and moods — laughing, grinning, angry, at work, solemn, self-assured and self- "Der Holzfäller" proud, satisfied, and at the end filled with fore- Rem Arts Mwsewm boding of death. Hodler also has something in com- mon with Munch, who was ten years younger. The link here lies less in certain personality traits than in the bitter experiences of both painters in their youth. Munch's early work is marked by the experience of death. He lost his mother when he was five, his sister in 1877, his father in 1889. The Damocles sword of illness hovered over Munch as a Ferdinand Hodler was born in the meetings in Langenthal of a religious sect constant threat. same year as the Dutch painter van Gogh. ("Stundeler"). These encounters are He was ten years older than the Norwegian reflected in paintings such as "Prayer Edvard Munch. All three painters were meeting in the Canton of Bern" THE SPIRIT OF DEATH uncompromising individualists. They may (Kunstmuseum Bern) and "At prayer". Hodler lost both parents and all five have been influential during their lifetime He also painted an increasing number of sisters and brothers from tuberculosis but none of them founded a school or portraits of old men and women — con- between 1859 and 1885. He and joined his contemporaries in any form of templative old men, artisans and vintagers. Albertine, the daughter of his sister Marie movement like the previous generation of In the early 1890s Hodler went to Paris Elise, were the only survivors in the Impressionists or the later Nabis ana where he came under the influence of the family. His own son, Hector, was to die Fauves. Although all three had very Rosicrucians who invited him to exhibit of the same disease in 1920. So Hodler's different personalities and their works are in the Salon de la Rose-Croix. Hodler youth was overshadowed by death to an unmistakably their own, we can establish accepted, showed "The disappointed unusual degree and as a result he always certain affinities, partly because they were souls" in 1892 and became a member of felt threatened. This influenced his contemporaries but more through the Rosicrucian artist's group, the Rose- painting. It emerges very clearly in his common experiences and characteristics. Croix Esthétique. large figurative compositions of the Like van Gogh, Hodler was strongly In their early works, both Hodler 1890s and is most striking in "Night", attracted to religion. Van Gogh started and van Gogh use a similar palette. dated 1890. "Night" shows a sleeping work with an art dealer, then threw him- Brown in all its gradations dominates, and group and a powerful man — the thirty- self into Bible studies and worked as a most of the figurative work is marked by seven year-old painter himself — shocked missionary in the Borinage until he was a heavy earthy tone. Paris, and especially from sleep by a nightmare or the spirit of dismissed for taking the Gospels too the Mediterranean, opened van Gogh's death. literally. At the age of twenty-seven he eyes to the effect of pure colour. Hodler's Hodler and Munch can also be com- became aware of his vocation as a painter. palette did not lighten until the 1890s pared in that the works of both can be He saw his art as the continuation of his and only achieved its full luminosity after clearly divided into two parts: the early previous activities. the turn of the century. work, with some of the characteristics When he was about twenty-seven, Another similarity between Hodler already mentioned, contrasts with the Hodler went through a religious crisis. and van Gogh is the important place self- later work marked by stronger colours and He too wished to become a pastor. In portraits take up in their work. Van Gogh greater luminosity. The victory over the the summer of 1880 he attended the painted at least thirty self-portraits, fear of death enabled both painters to Hodler was receiving commissions Published Twice Monthly at for portraits as early as 1890. Naturally CDcSioiss Observer 63/67 TABERNACLE STREET the most direct portraits are those he LONDON E.C.2 his initiative. Between Tel: 01-253 2321 painted on own 1911 and 1913 Hodler painted at least HON. PRESIDENT: Robert J. Keller Telegrams: Paperwyse London HON. VICE-PRESIDENT: four portraits of his friend the writer Gottfried Keller PREPAID SUBSCRIPTION RATES Mathias Morhardt who also encouraged (POST FREE) EDITOR: Pierre-Michel Béguin Puvis de Chavannes, Rodin and others. UNITED KINGDOM £2.40 Between 1912 and 1915 Hodler painted 24 issues Madame Ac/râo/y Counc/7: 12 issues £1.25 a number of portraits of F. Burri (Chairman) 6 issues £0.65 Valentine Darel, whose suffering and death Dr. C. Jagmetti (Vice-Chairman) SWITZERLAND and elsewhere he recorded stage by stage, almost as in a O. F. (Hon. Sec.) Boehringer, J.P., 12 issues F rs. 13—or £1.30 his visits to the J. R. M. Suess, diary, during frequent Eusebio, A. Kunz, 24 issues Frs. 25—or £2.50 B. Simon, B. Feller, Mrs. M. Meier Lausanne clinic. The depth of this Swiss subscriptions may be paid into experience led to less stylized com- Editor's telephone: 01-602 1378 Postcheck Konto Basle 40—5718 positions and an increasing freedom and directness of execution which also in- fluenced his landscape painting of the turn their attention to more active life. popular figures of all kinds. Hodler por- same period. In Munch's work this is represented by trayed one world, which we can describe his workmen and teams of horses, in that as the emotive, feminine one in the large REGAL TRINITY OF THE EIGER, of Hodler by such works as "The wood- figurative compositions he invented him- MONCH AND JUNGFRAU cutter" or "The rising of the students of self and developed until the end of his After the turn of the century land- Jena". But this more masculine spirit also life. The other world is that of the active, scapes became of major importance found pictorial expression in their por- masculine, forceful historical paintings. beside his large-scale compositions. traits and landscapes. Hodler did not paint these national sub- Hodler's extensive preoccupation with jects and scenes of war on his initiative. murals and their technique had brought HODLER'S ALLEGORICAL STYLE They were entries for competitions or about a fundamental change in his style. direct commissions. He forces the even further into Before the First World War Hodler's spectator Hodler's interpretation of national the distance this view from afar no figurative work was most admired. These now; history derived from the sense of tradition longer requires clearly delineated forms paintings obviously suited the general and the cult of a heroic past newly or clearly demarcated and separated mood of euphoria that was blind to the fostered by the historicism of the nine- colour areas. catastrophe to come. After the familiar teenth century. Yet it must be remem- In his landscapes Hodler tried in world of yesterday had collapsed, Hodler's bered that the first great competition another to the same themes allegories necessarily lost credit too. But way express works referred in fact to military defeats as in his large figurative historical and the true for their short life was reason of the old Swiss Confederation: the allegorical works: unity and uniformity. above all the fact that cannot allegories "Engagement at Fraubrunnen" and "The But whereas his chief difficulty in the be created of by an individual, out nothing Engagement at Neuenegg" (1798) were figurative works was the composition, and who stood the moreover one on intended for the Town Hall at Bern and this problem disappeared in landscape borders of The is society.