{"product_id":"portrait-of-willy-russ-ferdinand-hodler","title":"Portrait of Willy Russ - Ferdinand Hodler","description":"\u003cp\u003eA 1914 portrait by Swiss artist Ferdinand Hodler, featuring the subject Willy Russ against a flat, ochre background, executed in the artist's signature style of structural clarity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFerdinand Hodler, a central figure in Swiss art at the turn of the twentieth century, painted this portrait of Willy Russ in 1914. The work displays the artist's characteristic approach to portraiture, which often prioritised structural clarity and a rhythmic arrangement of forms over purely naturalistic representation. Hodler was known for his theory of 'parallelism', a method that sought to impose order and symmetry upon the subject, creating a sense of balance that permeates the composition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe subject, Willy Russ, is depicted in a seated position against a flat, ochre-toned background. His dark, double-breasted suit provides a stark contrast to the warm, uniform colour of the wall behind him. Hodler employs a controlled palette, allowing the focus to remain on the sitter's facial features and posture. The hands, resting on the knees, are rendered with a degree of simplification that aligns with the artist's broader stylistic tendencies during this period. The brushwork is deliberate, avoiding unnecessary texture to maintain the clean, graphic quality of the image.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis portrait captures the austere elegance often associated with Hodler's later works. By removing extraneous detail, the artist directs the viewer's attention to the psychological presence of the sitter. The composition is anchored by the vertical axis of the figure, while the horizontal lines of the lower section provide a stable base. This work reflects the artist's ability to synthesise observation with a personal aesthetic system, resulting in a representation that feels both immediate and carefully constructed. It remains a clear example of how Hodler utilised colour and line to define space and character within the constraints of a traditional portrait format.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"margin-top:2rem;padding-top:1.5rem;border-top:1px solid #e5e5e5;\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-size:0.85rem;color:#888;font-weight:600;margin:0 0 0.75rem;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:0.05em;\"\u003eYou might also like\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:0.5rem;\"\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/symbolic-head-odilon-redon\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#f8f9fa;border:1px solid #e5e5e5;border-radius:20px;padding:0.35rem 0.85rem;font-size:0.8rem;color:#2a555a;font-weight:500;text-decoration:none !important;background-image:none !important;\"\u003eSymbolic Head - Odilon Redon — Odilon Redon\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/roger-marx-eugene-carriere\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#f8f9fa;border:1px solid #e5e5e5;border-radius:20px;padding:0.35rem 0.85rem;font-size:0.8rem;color:#2a555a;font-weight:500;text-decoration:none !important;background-image:none !important;\"\u003eRoger Marx - Eugène Carrière — Eugène Carrière\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Ferdinand Hodler","offers":[{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ -","offer_id":58827392287055,"sku":null,"price":29.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ -","offer_id":58827407098191,"sku":null,"price":39.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ -","offer_id":58827407130959,"sku":null,"price":49.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ B2 (50x70 cm) \/ -","offer_id":58827407163727,"sku":null,"price":69.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A1 (59.4 x 84.1  cm) \/ -","offer_id":58827407196495,"sku":null,"price":89.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0833\/9292\/1935\/files\/Portrait-of-Willy-Russ_Poster_CompositorV1_1789889060032.jpg?v=1789889194","url":"https:\/\/www.solisprints.com\/products\/portrait-of-willy-russ-ferdinand-hodler","provider":"Solis Prints","version":"1.0","type":"link"}