The Lake Geneva from Lausanne 1912

Ferdinand Hodler captured The Lake Geneva from Lausanne, likely in oil on canvas, with a deceptively simple touch. The charm of this landscape lies in Hodler’s clear commitment to process. The canvas texture isn’t hidden here. The paint application is thin, and there’s a real flatness, almost like casein paint on paper. Look at the way the water meets the sky; it’s a soft, almost blurry line. See how the colors blend, yet each area is clearly defined, like tiles in a mosaic? Then you get to the lower register and he stabs at the canvas with different greens and reds. This is painting as a way of thinking and seeing, not a pursuit of realism. Hodler’s approach resonates with that of the American painter Milton Avery, in his reduction of forms to their most essential qualities. Hodler shows us the enduring power of art as a language that embraces the multiplicity of perspectives.