“The Consecrated One,” created by Ferdinand Hodler in 1903, is a significant artwork belonging to the Art Nouveau (Modern) and Symbolism movements. It is categorized as a symbolic painting and is currently housed in the Kunstmuseum Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
The artwork features a serene and contemplative scene with six ethereal, angelic figures standing in a formation, dressed in flowing robes and adorned with wings, symbolizing purity and divinity. The figures seem to represent celestial beings or muses, each holding flowers and appearing to perform a solemn ritual. Central to the composition is a kneeling child figure, depicted gazing upward in an act of reverence or consecration, surrounded by the angels, emphasizing themes of innocence and spiritual awakening. The background of the artwork depicts a natural landscape with delicate floral elements, enhancing the symbolic and mystical atmosphere characteristic of Hodler’s style. The overall composition exudes a sense of harmony and transcendence, typical of the Art Nouveau and Symbolist aesthetic.
