Artwork
Bildnis einer Unbekannten. Frau, der Predigt zuhörend
Bildnis einer Unbekannten. Frau, der Predigt zuhörend is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Ferdinand Hodler. It dates from 1893 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthaus Zürich.
About this work
Overview
Ferdinand Hodler’s 1893 oil painting *Bildnis einer Unbekannten. Frau, der Predigt zuhörend* portrays an unnamed woman absorbed in a sermon. Executed in a post‑impressionist manner, the work resides in the permanent collection of the Kunsthaus Zürich.
Subject & Meaning
The sitter is shown with closed eyes, head slightly bowed, and a tranquil expression, suggesting inward contemplation. Her dark hair is gathered back, and she wears a dark blue dress with a crisp white collar, emphasizing modesty and focus on the spoken word.
Technique & Style
Hodler employs a muted green backdrop that recedes behind the figure, creating spatial depth through subtle tonal shifts. The brushwork balances realistic modeling of the face with a flatter, decorative handling of clothing, hinting at the artist’s emerging “parallelism” that blends observation with symbolic simplification.
History & Provenance
Created during Hodler’s transitional phase from strict realism toward his signature symbolic approach, the portrait entered the Kunsthaus Zürich’s holdings, where it remains on display as part of the museum’s Swiss painting collection.
Context
The work reflects late‑nineteenth‑century Swiss interest in spiritual introspection and the role of the individual within communal religious practice. Hodler’s focus on a solitary, listening figure aligns with broader post‑impressionist concerns about inner experience over external narrative.
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…
