1889–1891
First marriage, to Bertha Stucki
From 1889 until their divorce in 1891 Hodler was married to Bertha Stucki, who is depicted in his painting Poetry (1897, Museum für Gestaltung, Zürich).
1891
“Night” succeeds at the Paris Salon
A few months later Hodler showed Night at the Paris Salon, where it was noticed and championed by Pierre Puvis de Chavannes and Auguste Rodin.
1891
The “Night” scandal in Geneva
At the Beaux-Arts exhibition in Geneva in February 1891 the entwined nude figures of Night caused a scandal: the mayor deemed the painting obscene and it was withdrawn from the show.
1894
Meets Berthe Jacques
In 1894 Hodler met Berthe Jacques (1868–1957); in 1898 she became his second wife.
1897
Frescoes for the Swiss National Museum
In 1897 Hodler accepted a commission for a series of large frescoes for the Weapons Room of the Swiss National Museum in Zurich. His proposed compositions — including The Battle of Marignano, a battle the Swiss lost — proved controversial, and he was not allowed to execute the frescoes until 1900.
1900
Awards at the Paris Exposition Universelle
At the 1900 Exposition Universelle in Paris, Night, Eurythmy and Day won awards. Hodler was invited to join both the Berlin and the Vienna Secessions.