The Reaper

Ferdinand Hodler, renowned as one of Switzerland’s foremost Realism painters of the nineteenth century, created the powerful painting The Reaper. Executed on Canvas using Oil paints, it captures a rural scene with intense symbolic meaning. Though Hodler was initially known for Genre painting and portraits, he later embraced his personal style of Symbolism called "parallelism." The Reaper exemplifies his shift toward evocative, expressive works that transcend straightforward realism, using striking composition and symbolism to evoke deeper themes.