{"id":84,"date":"2015-01-08T15:13:45","date_gmt":"2015-01-08T20:13:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/?p=84"},"modified":"2015-01-08T20:18:51","modified_gmt":"2015-01-09T01:18:51","slug":"ferdinand-hodler-and-the-paysage-planetaire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/2015\/01\/ferdinand-hodler-and-the-paysage-planetaire\/","title":{"rendered":"Ferdinand Hodler and the paysage plan\u00e9taire"},"content":{"rendered":"

As I promised in Tuesday’s post<\/a>, I have found the reference to ‘paysage plan\u00e9taire<\/strong>,’ and this makes for the perfect opportunity to give you a more extended introduction to the artwork of Ferdinand Hodler<\/strong>, if you aren’t familiar with him.<\/p>\n

\"Ferdinand<\/a>
Ferdinand Hodler, Landschaft bei Ch\u00e2teau d’Oex<\/em>, circa 1905. Source: Wikimedia Commons<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I first discovered Hodler through an excellent exhibit of his late work at the Neue Galerie<\/strong> in New York City, in the fall of 2012. The catalog for this exhibition is excellent (Ferdinand Hodler: View to Infinity<\/em>, Hatje Cantz Verlag, 2012). \u00a0It is the source for most of the material I’m presenting here.<\/p>\n

Hodler was born in Bern, Switzerland in 1853. In 1871 he moved to Geneva, which would be his base of operations until his death in 1918.<\/p>\n

From early in his career, Hodler’s work focused on Symbolism<\/strong>. He had attended Josef Wertheimer’s lectures on Symbolism in art at the Universit\u00e9 de Gen\u00e8ve around 1882. \u00a0At the end of 1890 he completed his stunning work of symbolism, Die Nacht<\/em>, meant\u00a0to represent death.<\/p>\n

\"Ferdinand<\/a>
Ferdinand Hodler, Die Nacht<\/em>, 1890. Source: Wikimedia Commons<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Die Nacht<\/em> also exhibited his theory of parallelism<\/strong>, the idea that repetition of formal elements creates the unity of the complete work. Ulf K\u00fcster (in the catalog cited above) states that Hodler’s “… compositional method reflected his theory of parallelism, which to the end of his life he repeated like a prayer wheel in both oral and written statements …” (p. 14).<\/p>\n

Various symbolic works formed the bulk of his oeuvre for many years, but he also continued throughout his life an early established habit of creating self-portraits, such as this one, from 1900.<\/p>\n

\"Ferdinand<\/a>
Ferdinand Hodler, Selbstbildnis<\/em>, 1900. Source: Wikimedia Commons<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In 1913-14 he chronicled the illness, decline and death of his lover, Valentine God\u00e9-Darel, in a series of paintings and sketches executed in\u00a0unflinching detail. \u00a0These works, which also exhibit his exalted idea of parallelism, almost appear as landscapes.<\/p>\n

\"Ferdinand<\/a>
Ferdinand Hodler, Valentine God\u00e9-Darel im Krankenbett<\/em>, 1914. Source: Wikimedia Commons<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Hodler had been doing landscapes of his native Switzerland for many years. \u00a0Late in his life, he explicitly stated his commitment to the form and to the idea of the paysage plan\u00e9taire<\/em>. \u00a0An extended quote from Oskar B\u00e4tschmann (also from the Catalog, pp. 24-25) perhaps says it best:<\/p>\n

“Johannes Widmer, a young admirer of Hodler, wrote of a walk with the painter on a pleasant summer evening in 1917, from the painter’s studio to Lake Geneva. In front of the broad bay, with the mountains in view, and of the opinion he had ten or fifteen years left of work, after a long silence Hodler began to speak of his future projects. \u00a0… ‘I will also paint different landscapes than I have thus far, or indeed the same ones but differently. Do you see how everything over them breaks down into lines and planes? Isn’t it as if you were standing on the edge of the earth and engaging freely with the universe? From now on, that is what I will paint!’ … Hodler declared he no longer wished to accept any commissions and only wanted to paint landscapes, which he called ‘paysages plan\u00e9taires<\/em>.'”<\/p>\n

\"Ferdinand<\/a>
Ferdinand Hodler, Der Grammont in der Morgensonne<\/em>, 1917. Source: Wikimedia Commons<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Unfortunately, Hodler passed away in 1918 and so had very little time to carry out his project. \u00a0Even so, what he has left us points toward the future. \u00a0Ulf K\u00fcster sees his work as an anticipation of Mondrian as well as abstract expressionism. \u00a0While Hodler clearly evinces a symbolist position right to the end, I also see him as an early expressionist, sharing much stylistically with his Austrian and German contemporaries, such as Klimt and Schiele.<\/p>\n

And so ends today’s foray into history. Now, back to work!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As I promised in Tuesday’s post, I have found the reference to ‘paysage plan\u00e9taire,’ and this makes for the perfect opportunity to give you a more extended introduction to the artwork of Ferdinand Hodler, if you aren’t familiar with him. I first discovered Hodler through an excellent exhibit of his late work at the Neue […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[11,26],"tags":[7,27,28,19,18],"class_list":["post-84","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-art","category-art-history-notes","tag-art","tag-art-history","tag-ferdinand-hodler","tag-landscape","tag-paysage"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5zpKF-1m","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":55,"url":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/2015\/01\/studio-notes-new-landscape-started\/","url_meta":{"origin":84,"position":0},"title":"Studio Notes – New landscape started","author":"John Azelvandre","date":"January 5, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"I spent some time in the studio this afternoon, stretching canvas and beginning a new painting in my \"paysages plan\u00e9taires\" series. \u00a0A big inspiration for this series is the work of Swiss symbolist and proto-expressionist (my designation) Ferdinand Hodler. \u00a0(Occasionally I reblog Hodler images on my tumblr.) I believe I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Art"","block_context":{"text":"Art","link":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/category\/art\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/paysage-in-progress.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/paysage-in-progress.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/paysage-in-progress.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/paysage-in-progress.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":113,"url":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/2015\/01\/studio-notes-the-paysage-in-progress-continued\/","url_meta":{"origin":84,"position":1},"title":"Studio Notes – the paysage in progress, continued","author":"John Azelvandre","date":"January 13, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"As noted last week, I'm blogging the progress on a new landscape (a \"paysage plan\u00e9taire\" in the spirit of Ferdinand Hodler). \u00a0On Sunday, I completed the underpainting: Tonight, I had very little time to get into it, so I just worked on the sky and water - the blue areas,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Art"","block_context":{"text":"Art","link":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/category\/art\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Underpainting completed, Paysage plan\u00e9taire, oil on canvas, 24x24\", in progress","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/paysage-progress-4-1024x685.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/paysage-progress-4-1024x685.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/paysage-progress-4-1024x685.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":136,"url":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/2015\/02\/studio-notes-paysage-planetaire-completed\/","url_meta":{"origin":84,"position":2},"title":"Studio Notes – paysage plan\u00e9taire completed","author":"John Azelvandre","date":"February 8, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"This is the final installment of my series of posts following the progression of a painting I started at the beginning of January - a \"paysage plan\u00e9taire\" inspired in part by the work of Ferdinand Hodler and other painters from that era. \u00a0So, in my last post, described the overpainting.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Art"","block_context":{"text":"Art","link":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/category\/art\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/paysage-process-final-3.jpg?fit=1024%2C1024&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/paysage-process-final-3.jpg?fit=1024%2C1024&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/paysage-process-final-3.jpg?fit=1024%2C1024&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/paysage-process-final-3.jpg?fit=1024%2C1024&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":119,"url":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/2015\/01\/studio-notes-paysage-planetaire-continued\/","url_meta":{"origin":84,"position":3},"title":"Studio notes – paysage plan\u00e9taire, continued","author":"John Azelvandre","date":"January 20, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"I'm getting a bit behind in my blogging. The month is fast rolling to its completion, I've got what feels like a hundred pots in the fire. Among those, the \"paysage plan\u00e9taire\" I started several weeks ago continues to evolve. Last week, the underpainting was complete and I worked on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Art"","block_context":{"text":"Art","link":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/category\/art\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Paysage plan\u00e9taire in progress, oil on canvas, 24x24\"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/paysage-progress-7-1024x988.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/paysage-progress-7-1024x988.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/paysage-progress-7-1024x988.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":72,"url":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/2015\/01\/studio-notes-the-landscape-evolves\/","url_meta":{"origin":84,"position":4},"title":"Studio Notes – the landscape evolves","author":"John Azelvandre","date":"January 6, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"As a sort of journalistic experiment, I'm going to follow the development of my recently started Paysage plan\u00e9taire painting through several blog posts. \u00a0This should be interesting, and maybe\u00a0disastrous, since I don't know how the painting is\u00a0going to turn out. For me, creating is perhaps like giving birth to something\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Art"","block_context":{"text":"Art","link":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/category\/art\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/paysage-progress-2.jpg?fit=1024%2C685&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/paysage-progress-2.jpg?fit=1024%2C685&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/paysage-progress-2.jpg?fit=1024%2C685&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/paysage-progress-2.jpg?fit=1024%2C685&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":612,"url":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/2015\/10\/gowanus-open-studios-a-personal-retrospective\/","url_meta":{"origin":84,"position":5},"title":"Gowanus Open Studios: A personal retrospective","author":"John Azelvandre","date":"October 15, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Gowanus Open Studios is mere days away (you're coming, right? - Saturday, Oct. 16 and Sunday, Oct. 17, 12-6pm -- details here)! Looking back, I'm amazed to see that this year's tour will be the NINTH that I have participated in. \u00a0Yes, that's a \"9\"! So, in celebration of this\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Announcements"","block_context":{"text":"Announcements","link":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/category\/announcements\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/GOS2014.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/GOS2014.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/GOS2014.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/GOS2014.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=84"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":105,"href":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84\/revisions\/105"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=84"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=84"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=84"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}