Thun, Stockhornkette, evening 1912

Editor: This is "Thun, Stockhornkette, evening," painted in 1912 by Ferdinand Hodler. It's an oil painting, and I’m really drawn to its calm, almost melancholic mood. The mountains reflecting in the water give it this perfect symmetry, a mirrored world. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Oh, I feel it too, that quietness, a stillness that settles deep within. Hodler wasn't just painting a landscape; he was capturing a feeling, an echo of something profound. Notice how he repeats shapes – the mountain peaks, the reflections. For me, it's about the dialogue between reality and perception. What’s solid and what's ephemeral? Is that even a mountain? Or just how *we* see the mountain? Editor: That’s a cool question. So, it’s not just a pretty picture then? Curator: Never just! Hodler was deeply influenced by symbolism, you know. This symmetrical composition? It speaks of harmony, balance, maybe even a search for some sort of deeper truth. Plus, painting en plein air like this, directly experiencing the landscape… It's like he was trying to distill the very essence of the Stockhornkette. It wasn’t only about what was *out there,* but what resonated within *him* while he was painting. How cool is that? Editor: I see what you mean. It’s like he's not just showing us the mountain; he's showing us how he *felt* about it. Curator: Exactly! It’s a painted feeling. Now, does knowing this affect how *you* view the piece? Editor: Definitely. I’m looking at it completely differently now! Thanks for pointing all of that out; I definitely see it more deeply. Curator: And I love that *you* are looking deeper. Makes this old painting seem, well, vibrantly new.