DISCOVERART

Ferdinand Hodler

Study for Day (Truth)

1896/98
Graphite with smudging on cream wove paper, squared for transfer
28.6 × 28.6 cm (11.3 × 11.3 in)

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In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

The artist’s wife, Berthe Jacques, served as the model for this preliminary study for the Art Institute’s painting Day (Truth) . Hodler would often have his models pose behind a wooden frame with a grid of threads stretched across it—a method first described by the artist Albrecht Dürer in the 16th century. This allowed Hodler to accurately check the subject’s proportions and measurements against the drawing, which was also outlined with a grid.

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