Artwork
Abendruhe
Abendruhe is an oil painting by the Symbolist artist Ferdinand Hodler. It dates from 1901 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthaus Zürich.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1901, *Abendruhe* is an oil painting by Swiss artist Ferdinand Hodler. Executed during the later phase of his career, the work exemplifies his personal visual language known as parallelism, a hallmark of his Symbolist period. The canvas is part of the permanent collection of the Kunsthaus Zürich.
Subject & Meaning
The composition shows a young woman standing on a winding dirt track amid a meadow of green grass speckled with yellow blossoms. She wears a floor‑length, pale blue dress and holds her hands together at her chest, while her long brown hair is gathered into a single braid. The tranquil sky, tinged with pink‑purple, and the distant hill convey a mood of quiet reflection.
Technique & Style
Hodler employs a restrained palette of blues, greens, and soft pinks, arranging forms in a balanced, almost rhythmic manner that reinforces the sense of parallel lines across the picture plane. The handling of oil paint creates subtle gradations of tone, giving the scene a modest three‑dimensionality without abandoning the flat, decorative quality characteristic of his Symbolist approach.
History & Provenance
After its completion, the painting entered the holdings of the Kunsthaus Zürich, where it remains on display. The museum acquired the work as part of its effort to represent the development of Swiss modernism and Hodler’s influence within it.
Context
*Abendruhe* belongs to a period when Hodler was moving away from naturalistic representation toward a more abstracted, symbolic visual language. The work reflects his interest in conveying inner states—here, calm and contemplation—through simplified forms and a harmonious arrangement of color and line, aligning it with broader Symbolist trends in early twentieth‑century European art.
Artist & collection
Artist
Ferdinand Hodler (March 14, 1853 – May 19, 1918) was a Swiss painter. He is one of the best-known Swiss painters of the nineteenth century. His early works were portraits, landscapes, and genre paintings in a realistic…
