The Turner Banquet 1878

Editor: Ferdinand Hodler painted "The Turner Banquet" in 1878, using oil paint. It captures a group of men gathered at a banquet, seemingly listening to a speaker. The scene feels very traditional, but I wonder what the specific symbols are pointing to? How would you interpret the weight of the images displayed in this work? Curator: I see in this piece a fascinating study in cultural memory. The banner, prominently displayed, is clearly of central importance here. What feelings are stirred by its central position? Editor: It seems very patriotic, maybe even nationalistic. It stands out due to its bright red colour. Is that what Hodler intended? Curator: Absolutely, Hodler is definitely playing with ideas of collective identity and belonging. The banner would undoubtedly have potent connotations for the contemporary viewer. Do you recognise any other details in the work? The clothing of the men perhaps? Editor: Now that you mention it, yes! They all wear the same outfits; they must be part of a fraternity or a club of some kind. Curator: Precisely. These garments indicate a shared identity, much like uniforms do. Hodler's use of light and shadow is quite clever, as the speaker on the left commands our attention in this very rigid but also realistic setting. What meaning do you get from this juxtaposition? Editor: That is very thought-provoking, the bright outfits almost hint at an attempt at solidarity in a fast-changing society, like holding on to a shared past through these collective memories. Curator: Precisely. It seems as if this work has successfully enabled us to consider questions of belonging, and what those colours and that banner represent as collective visual tools, over time. Editor: It definitely has! Looking at this image through a symbolic lens makes me see the layers of history embedded within it so much more clearly.