Farewell participating female figure 1908

Editor: Here we have Ferdinand Hodler's 1908 pencil drawing, "Farewell participating female figure." I'm immediately struck by the raw emotion; you can almost feel her sadness despite the simplicity of the lines. What captures your attention when you look at this piece? Curator: The raw emotion is it exactly. But I also think about impermanence. You know, Hodler uses these simple lines, like breaths almost, to capture a feeling that just won’t stick around. Do you get the sense that this isn’t just a drawing, but a ghost of a feeling? Maybe even *his* ghost of a feeling? Like he saw it, felt it, drew it and it’s gone. The line quality seems so fragile, as if the figure could disappear with a breath. Editor: A ghost of a feeling, I like that! It’s so fleeting, but very poignant! Almost like the memory of grief. So it sounds like the simple lines amplify, rather than diminish, the artwork's emotional effect. Do you think there's a reason he chose to capture it this way? Curator: Hodler was knee-deep in Symbolism, remember? And they were all about expressing interior states. Maybe a quick, raw sketch allowed him to get closer to the core feeling, bypassing all the fancy techniques that could dilute the emotional punch. Tell me, what does the gesture say to you? Her face hidden? Editor: Well, I read that gesture as someone overcome with grief. Perhaps trying to hide it, but not succeeding. Curator: Right! Perhaps that moment after someone says farewell for the last time, and tries to compose oneself. To think he did it with some fleeting pencil marks makes my mind swoon. That is what is genius, and a talent I have only dream of, alas... Editor: It's funny; it's just a pencil sketch, but feels monumental in feeling! Curator: Absolutely. A whispered goodbye echoing through time.