Shoes “Tell” | Frauenfeld

“Parallelism is, as I employ it, either universally valid – and then my work has universal meaning – or I was wrong, and then my art is nothing but delusion.” — Ferdinand Hodler

And what does this quote have to do with the poster by Otto Baumberger advertising Tell shoes made in Frauenfeld in the canton of Thurgau (apart from the fact that the soldiers march in rank and file, as they should)?
Well, Hodler’s point of view (as well as his pride and self-confidence) has had a lasting influence on a number of (younger) Swiss artists. His influence went even further in that it is thanks to him that modern art in Switzerland began to prevail over historicism and allegories, which paved the way for Eduard Stiefel, Otto Baumberger, Emil Cardinaux, Eduard Renggli and others who were also active as poster designers – which in turn helped the modern poster to make its breakthrough in Switzerland.