HODLER, Ferdinand (1853 Bern-1918 Geneva) Einmutigkeit / Redner (Unanimity / The Speaker) Pencil on paper Size : 38 x 19 cm Provenance: Accompanied by a handwritten letter from Ferdinand Hodler's widow, dated 24 December 1943 in Geneva, attesting to the gift of this work to Monsieur Amiguet. A similar handwritten text by B. Hodler also appears on the reverse of the drawing. The work was illustrated in Le Mois Suisse. Private collection, Geneva. Ferdinand Hodler, one of the greatest Swiss artists of the late nineteenth century, occupies an essential place in the history of European art. His work, at the crossroads of symbolism and realism, is marked by a quest for universality based on "parallelism": a rhythmic repetition of forms designed to express order, spirituality and cohesion. The drawing presented here is a rare preparatory study for Einmütigkeit (Unanimity), one of Hodler's last major murals, painted between 1913 and 1915 for the Council of State Hall in Hanover. The work features a central speaker surrounded by standing male figures, symbolising moral unity, collective strength and the democratic ideal.