Ferdinand Hodler (1853-1918). A native of Bern, Hodler originally painted portraits, landscapes and genre pictures, gradually developing his own style, which he called parallelism (it is included in symbolic painting directions). His style combined symbolism and art nouveau. He placed emphasis on symmetry and the rhythm of the painting, which, he believed, are the foundation of human civilization. His last works tend towards expressionism, with bold colours, sharp and simplistic lines.