The artwork titled “Dying Cadet” was created by the artist Ferdinand Hodler circa 1896. This piece belongs to the Symbolism art movement and is categorically a sketch and study. The dimensions of the artwork are 26.2 x 18.9 cm.
The artwork exhibits a scene rendered in a simple, minimalist style with essential lines and hues. It portrays a cadet in a vulnerable, possibly collapsing position, with surrounding forms suggesting other figures or structures. The artist employs soft, subdued tones of red and blue to emphasize the contours and shapes, while the primary sketches in black give the piece a raw and unfinished appearance, typical of preliminary studies. The overall composition and technique reflect the Symbolist inclination towards conveying deeper emotional states and existential themes through suggestive and abstract forms.
