The Lake 1911

Ferdinand Hodler captured this view in his painting "The Lake," with oils. The artwork features three distinct horizontal bands: sky, mountains, and water, each acting as a symbolic plane. This composition is not unique to Hodler. Think of the iconic representations of the Tree of Life. The roots mirrored by the canopy, connected by the trunk in the middle, a symbol of connection between Heaven and Earth, the underworld and the sky. In Hodler's lake, the sky, filled with swirling clouds, mirrors the water below. The mountains form a lavender-colored symbolic horizon, a bridge between the tangible and the transcendent. This symmetry suggests a deeper yearning for balance and harmony, echoing the subconscious desire for unity. The recurring motif of symmetry appears to be a constant echo in art history that reinforces our innate quest for order.