Q131586075

Completed in 1905, this canvas arrives from one of Hodler's most productive stretches, when international success freed him to pursue the landscape subjects he loved most. The Lake Geneva shoreline, the Bernese Oberland, and the distant profiles of Mont Blanc were recurring subjects: in their flat water reflections and rhythmically repeated mountain forms Hodler found natural counterparts to the Parallelism he had developed in figure painting. He travelled frequently to document specific sites, often producing multiple versions of the same view at different times of day or under different weather conditions, in the manner of a series painter though without the Impressionist interest in transient light. By 1905 he was Switzerland's most prominent living painter, and the Kunsthaus was ensuring comprehensive representation of every phase of his output.

In this period Hodler's brushwork becomes increasingly confident and broadly applied. Large strokes lay in the structural masses, while smaller touches refine edges. The palette is lighter and more saturated than his 1890s work, reflecting both the open landscapes he was painting and an influence from the chromatic experiments of the Secessionists he admired.