One of the admittedly flawed measures of the ‘importance’ of an artist is the strength and extent of their influence. In Ferdinand Hodler’s case, this is difficult to assess because of our current limited insight into the arts in central Europe in the early twentieth century.

Few people outside Austria, for instance, have heard of Albin Egger-Lienz (1868–1926), who at the time was regarded as being as important an artist in Austria as Gustav Klimt. Despite Egger-Lienz’s protestations, there can be no doubt that Hodler’s paintings were a major influence over his art. In this article and its second, concluding part, I hope to show you how.

Egger-Lienz was born close to the mediaeval town of Lienz in the Austrian Tyrol, in the south-west of the country. Initially named Ingenuin Albuin Troja, he was the illegitimate son of a local church painter and photographer, and the daughter of a farmer…