Q131586705

Painted in 1875, this companion to the earlier 1875 canvas in this batch provides a second view of Hodler's early professional output. Together the two 1875 canvases allow a more nuanced understanding of his work at twenty-two: the range of subjects he tackled, the consistency of his academic technique across different formats, and the early signs of the formal intelligence that would later transform European painting. Hodler in 1875 was laying foundations: technical, philosophical, and material. The Kunsthaus Zürich's long commitment to collecting his entire output, from these modest early works to the monumental late landscapes, reflects its conviction that no phase of his development should be treated as mere preparation — each has its own integrity and historical significance.

The second 1875 canvas shares the careful, layered academic technique of its companion. Both show the controlled tonal gradation and firm but not yet dominant outline that characterise Hodler's early practice. Colour is observational, palette restrained. The paint surface is smooth and finished in the academic manner, without the bold directness of the mature Hodler.