Ferdinand Hodler is one of Switzerland's most well known painters of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in Bern in 1853, his early life was marked by tragedy, losing his father and two brothers to tuberculosis by age eight, and his mother by the time he was 14. He began painting signs for his stepfather’s business before pursuing formal artistic training. He spent much of his later life in Geneva, where he produced many of his significant works. Invited to join the Vienna Secession, he exhibited alongside Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele. His paintings often explore themes of nature, human emotion and life and death. He passed in Geneva on May 19, 1918. Today, Hodler’s work is not only showcased in major Swiss institutions but his paintings are also part of international collections such as the Musée d'Orsay in Paris and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
