Pulling soldiers 1908

Curator: Ferdinand Hodler's sketch from 1908, titled "Pulling soldiers," captures a moment steeped in the anxieties of a pre-war Europe. The artwork utilizes sparse ink lines to illustrate a procession of figures. Editor: It strikes me as starkly incomplete. The hurried lines give the impression of something fleeting, ephemeral, caught just before it vanishes. There's an urgency in the execution that unsettles me, a feeling of impending action or perhaps even dread. Curator: The sketch's incompleteness resonates deeply with the socio-political context of the time, wouldn’t you agree? Europe was on the precipice of immense upheaval. The visible struggle and anxiety of the artist reflects that societal tension, as do, perhaps, questions around masculinity and forced mobilization. Editor: Agreed, and looking closer at the marks of production reveals further complexity. Notice how certain figures are more defined than others. This differential treatment of labor and materiality directs us to those with varying degree of agency within the militarized system. It reminds me how labor is consumed and depleted. Curator: I see your point, there is certainly a nuanced perspective, especially in Hodler's artistic practice. Considering his engagement with symbolism, the drawing also operates on a symbolic level. Soldiers lined up; cogs in a war machine perhaps? Editor: Exactly. And the bare, almost brutal nature of the medium itself, ink on paper, forces a confrontation with the stark realities of militarization, of resources being diverted and consumed. This deliberate sparseness speaks volumes about Hodler's perspective, perhaps a critique of the glorification of war. Curator: Looking at the material and its production within the larger spectrum, this incomplete sketch provides insight into both individual sentiment and broader anxieties defining the era. A raw window into our history! Editor: Precisely. By analyzing the composition, materiality and method of its construction, one starts appreciating the complex ways that an artwork reveals the machinery behind military mobilization.