Sensation 1901

Ferdinand Hodler's "Sensation" (1901) depicts a nude woman in a field of poppies, a favored subject of the Swiss Symbolist painter. The woman's elongated, sinuous form and the repetition of the poppy motif create a sense of rhythmic harmony, a signature element of Hodler's "Parallelism" style. The painting's soft, pastel colors and the woman's contemplative pose suggest a sense of longing and introspective emotion, highlighting the complex relationship between nature and human experience.