Ferdinand Hodler

Berthe Hodler-Jacques, Geneva
evtl. Galerie Bollag, Zurich (20.6.1941)
Louis Glatt, Geneva (before 1968)
Private collection, Switzerland (1974)
Private collection, Switzerland (by descent to the present owner)

Zurich, Bellevueplatz am See, XIII. Schweizerische Kunstausstellung in Zürich, 1917, no. 425

Katalog der XIII. Schweizerischen Kunstausstellung in Zürich, exhibition catalogue, Zurich 1917, no. 425 (Studie zu Bildnis Fräulein M. im Grünen, 1916)
C(arl) A(lbert) Loosli, "Generalkatalog - Nachtrag", 1921-1924, 1942, no. 1538 (Bildnis Frl. Müller, 1916)
Jura Brüschweiler, Ferdinand Hodler. Einige Werke aus der Sammlung Karl G. Steiner, Zurich 1981, p. 56-61 (Bildnis Gertrud Müller Halbfigur mit Händen auf den Hüften), ill. (in colour)
Jura Brüschweiler, Ferdinand Hodler. Sammlung Steiner, Zurich 1997, p. 172-176 (Gertrud Müller im Garten, 1915-1916), p. 251, ill.
Jura Brüschweiler, "Le chant du cygne de Ferdinand Hodler. Essai sur la relation entre oeuvres peintes et témoignages écrits", Geneva 2005, p. 82 and p. 83, ill. (in colour)
Oskar Bätschmann/Paul Müller, Ferdinand Hodler. Catalogue raisonné der Gemälde, vol. 2. Die Bildnisse, Zurich 2012, p. 321, no. 1002, ill. (in colour), p.322, no. 1002

Relined, rear protection. Painting has not been unframed (behind glass). Craquelure mainly in the green of the background, in the woman's dress and on the lower part of her face. Some grayish spots in the left arm. Paintlosses mainly visible in the areas left of the neck, in the brown hair, above the woman's head, at the lower left margin and in the upper left and upper right corners and in the grayish white background in the left quadrant. Retouching in the dark green background on both sides of the woman's head. Abrasions on the lower and left margins. Small piece of brown paper above the belt between the canvas and the glass. Otherwise very good condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

„I am sitting in the garden, surrounded by a green landscape, I am wearing  a blue taffeta dress (the new one), he likes it very much,” reported Gertrud Müller to her brother Josef after a session with Ferdinand Hodler. Between 1915 and 1917 Hodler created a number of portraits of Gertrud Müller in the garden of his atelier in Les Acacias, a neighbourhood in Geneva. The collector from Solothurn and Hodler remained lifelong friends. In the present work the young lady is glancing at him in a self-confident manner while the artist is carefully capturing her physiognomy. The grid that Hodler used is still slightly visible on the bright background, demonstrating the high expectations he had towards the accuracy of her depiction. At the same time he simplified the vegetal environment by abstracting the garden to one undifferentiated green surface and the flowers to white spots of colour. The art enthusiast Gertrud Müller did not only pose for Hodler, she also documented his life and work with her camera. The most famous photograph is the one taken on the evening before his death. It shows an aged Hodler walking at the Quai du Mont-Blanc in Geneva with his wife Berthe and his daughter Paulette. «Ich sitze im Garten, umgeben von Grünem, und ich habe das blaue Taffetkleid an (das neue), es gefällt ihm sehr gut. […]», berichtete Gertrud Müller ihrem Bruder Josef nach einer Sitzung bei Ferdinand Hodler. Zwischen 1915 und 1917 schuf dieser in seinem Ateliergarten im Genfer Quartier Les Acacias mehrere Porträts der Solothurner Sammlerin, mit der ihn eine lebenslange Freundschaft verband. Selbstbewusst blickt die junge Frau zu Hodler, der ihre Physiognomie präzise festhielt. Die auf dem hellen Grund noch sichtbare Rasterung zeugt von dessen Anspruch, Mass und Proportion der Porträtierten exakt auf die Leinwand zu übertragen. Gleichzeitig vereinfachte Hodler die vegetabile Umgebung, indem er den Garten zu einer grünen Fläche und die Blumen zu weissen Farbtupfen abstrahierte. Die kunstinteressierte Gertrud Müller sass nicht nur für Hodler Modell, sondern begleitete ihn auch über mehrere Jahre mit dem Fotoapparat. Berühmt wurden Gertruds Aufnahmen des gealterten Malers, der zusammen mit seiner Frau Berthe und der Tochter Paulette am Vortag seines Todes einen letzten Spaziergang am Quai du Mont-Blanc in Genf unternahm.