Prayer in the Cathedral of St. Pierre, Geneva 1882

Ferdinand Hodler's painting, likely from 1895, captures a moment within the Cathedral of St. Pierre in Geneva, using oil on canvas. The composition presents a serene interior, dominated by vertical architectural elements and a stark contrast between the dark pulpit on the left and the softer, light-filled space behind the rows of pews. This contrast draws you in. Hodler employs a muted palette, focusing on grays, browns, and whites to convey the cathedral's solemn atmosphere. The brushstrokes are visible, lending the scene an immediacy, blurring the distinction between realism and subjective experience. Hodler's interest in capturing the 'spiritual' through form is evident. The semiotic interplay here is fascinating: the pulpit, a symbol of authority and discourse, faces a congregation, hinting at a dialogue between the divine and the earthly. But the ethereal light and simplified forms suggest a move away from traditional religious iconography toward a more abstract, personal interpretation of faith. It emphasizes how Hodler destabilizes conventional representation through structural elements.