Ferdinand Hodler on the silver screen.
A film by film pioneer Fran莽ois-Henri Lavanchy-Clarke from 1896 documents the national exhibition in Geneva. In the illustrious turmoil in front of the camera, a team of researchers has now discovered the artist Ferdinand Hodler.
Even in the 铿乪ld of Cultural Studies, there is still scope for surprising discoveries: The in铿倁ential Swiss painter Ferdinand Hodler (1853–1918) as he visited the Swiss Village at the Exposition Nationale in May 1896. This rare 铿乶d was uncovered by a Media Studies research group and the Digital Humanities Lab at the 91制片厂.
Dr. Hansmartin Siegrist and his research team conducted a microanalysis of the oldest conserved 铿乴m reel of 91制片厂 from 1896 while researching the early work of the 铿乴m pioneer François-Henri Lavanchy-Clarke. Lavanchy-Clarke was the 铿乺st person outside of France to hold a license for the Lumière brothers’ cinematograph. He also ran a pavilion at the State Exhibition which, as well as showcasing Sunlight products manufactured by the English ‘soap king’ William H. Lever, and coffee produced by the 91制片厂 Mission Trading Company, also functioned as Switzerland’s 铿乺st temporary cinema.
Lavanchy-Clarke opened the doors of this Palais des fées on the same evening as the opening of the State Exhibition of Swiss Art. Hodler had won the competition to paint 26 panels for the entrances and the facade of the Pavillon des Beaux-Arts, and was therefore one of the most celebrated artists at the State Exhibition. Lavanchy-Clarke’s 铿乴ms were used to advertise the State Exhibition across Switzerland.
Following in-depth analysis of the 铿乴m material and extensive visits to a specialist archive of artists, the researchers were able to identify many of Hodler’s colleagues. In addition to the more typical archival research, the team also employed methods involving the overlaying of photographs with physiometric data.