Der Holzfäller

"Der Holzfäller" (The Woodcutter) by Ferdinand Hodler is an oil on paper work that exemplifies the Swiss artist's interest in depicting laborers engaged in physically demanding work. The composition captures the figure in a moment of exertion, rendered with Hodler's characteristic simplified forms and attention to the monumental quality of everyday human activity. This subject matter reflects the artist's broader engagement with themes of work and human dignity that were central to his artistic practice in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.