The Kunsthaus in Zurich might be one of my favorite museums ever. It’s usually not terribly crowded, and it’s collection is well rounded. Despite the lack of benches (the plight of all museums!) there was so much to see. However, my focus today was definitely on Ferdinand Hodler.

His stuff is amazing. I hate using that word, stuff, so let’s use this word: His amazingfantasticgeniusrelatable creations. He’s a 19th century Swiss painter, born in Bern, and is an Expressionist.

For all of you who may not speak the Art History lingo, there are two kinds of painting.

Haptic and visual. Visual is like Renaissance Italian painting: It’s realistic, and while it’s no less beautiful, it’s much more accurate, refined, and less emotional.

Haptic painting is like Expressionism. It’s less accurate, it’s more of a Northern painter trait, like Edvard Munch (The Scream). Expressionism is pretty self explanatory…

Anyway, back on track!

So, basic sum: Ferdinand Hodler = 19th century Swiss painter-badass. The Kunsthaus had an entire room of his works, which were each a gem to behold.