Transfiguration 1906

Ferdinand Hodler painted 'Transfiguration' in oil paint, though the date is unknown. It's interesting how Hodler builds up the image through layers, almost like a watercolor but with the richness of oil. You can see the strokes, the process isn’t hidden at all. The color is so saturated, especially in that blue dress, and it's not just blue, it's got this depth that makes you want to dive right in. The dress and the figure of the woman stand out against the pale pink background, like she is emerging out of it. Her bare feet keep her grounded in the field of flowers. Look at the way the hands are rendered, with a lightness that suggests a reaching, or a receiving. Hodler reminds me of Klimt, in the way he uses color and form to create these really striking images, but there's something simpler, more direct about Hodler's approach. It's like he's saying, ‘Here is this person, this moment, and it's beautiful just as it is.’