Q131586709

A second undated canvas in this Kunsthaus Zürich group, this work shares the interpretive openness of its companion. Ferdinand Hodler's undated canvases are typically smaller works, studies, or experiments that were not prepared for exhibition submission — where dating was more consistently applied. That both undated canvases entered the Kunsthaus collection suggests they were acquired directly from the artist's estate or through early donations when provenance documentation was systematic. Within the Kunsthaus's comprehensive Hodler holdings, these works contribute to the complete picture of an artist who worked continuously and diversely throughout his career, not only on the large symbolic compositions for which he is best remembered but on a daily practice of observational and experimental painting.

The technical assessment of this undated canvas follows similar principles to its companion: paint handling, colour palette, outline character, and compositional organisation can all serve as approximate markers for placement within the pre-1890 academic phase, the 1890s Symbolist concentration, or the broader 1900s–1910s mature period. Without documentary evidence, stylistic reading remains the primary analytical tool.