Redon, Odilon
Redon, Odilon
(1840-1916).
French painter and graphic artist, one of the outstanding figures of
Symbolism.
He had a retiring life, first in his native Bordeaux, then from 1870 in
Paris, and until he was in his fifties he worked almost exclusively in
black and white, in charcoal drawings and lithographs. In these he
developed a highly distinctive repertoire of weird subjects (strange
amoeboid creatures, insects, and plants with human heads and so on),
influenced by the writings of Edgar Allen Poe. He remained virtually
unknown to the public until the publication of J.K. Huysmans's celebrated
novel A Rebours in 1884;
the book's hero, a disenchanted aristocrat who lives in a private world of
perverse delights, collects Redon's drawings, and with his mention in this
classic expression of decadence, Redon too became associated with the
movement.
During the 1890s Redon turned to painting and revealed remarkable powers
as a colorist that had lain dormant. Much of his early life had been
unhappy, but after undergoing a religious crisis in the early 1890s and
a serious illness in 1894-95, he was transformed into a much more buoyant
and cheerful personality, expressing himself in radiant colors in
mythological scenes and flower paintings. He showed equal facility in
oils and pastel. The flower pieces, in particular, were much admired by
Matisse,
and the
Surrealists
regarded Redon as one of their precursors. He was a distinguished figure
by the end of his life, although still a very private person.
Photographs by Mark
Harden.
-
Mystery
undated (160 Kb); Oil on canvas, 73 x 53.9 cm (28 3/4 x 21 1/4 in);
The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C.
-
Beatrice
1885 (180 Kb); Pastel over charcoal, 34.5 x 30 cm;
Private collection
-
Les yeux clos (Closed Eyes)
1890 (190 Kb);
Oil on canvas mounted on cardboard, 44 x 36 cm (17 3/8 x 14 1/4 in);
Musee d'Orsay, Paris
-
Saint John
1892 (200 Kb); Pastel over charcoal, 42.5 x 29 cm;
Private collection
-
The Golden Cell
1892 (190 Kb);
Oil and gold metallic paint on paper prepared with white ground,
30.1 x 24.6 cm;
The British Museum
-
Woman with a Yellow Bodice
c. 1899 (240 Kb); Pastel, 66 x 50 cm;
Museum Kroller-Mueller, Otterlo, The Netherlands
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Ophelia
c. 1900-05 (210 Kb);
Pastel on paper mounted on board, 50.5 x 67.3 cm (19 7/8 x 26 1/2 in);
The Woodner Collection
-
Panel
c. 1902 (250 Kb); Distemper on canvas, 225 x 185 cm;
Rijksmuseum Twenthe, Enschede, The Netherlands
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Flowers
c. 1903 (230 Kb); Oil on canvas, 66 x 54.5 cm;
Kunstmuseum St. Gallen, Switzerland
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Flower Clouds
c. 1903 (200 Kb); Pastel, 44.5 x 54.2 cm;
The Art Institute of Chicago
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Le Bouddha (The Buddha)
c. 1905 (220 Kb); Pastel on paper, 98 x 73 cm (35 1/2 x 28 3/4 in);
Musee d'Orsay, Paris
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Red Boat with Blue Sail
1906-07 (160 Kb); Oil on canvas, 54 x 73 cm;
Private collection
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Parsifal
c. 1912 (160 Kb); Pastel on beige paper, 66 x 52 cm (26 x 20 1/2 in);
Musee d'Orsay, Paris
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Profile and Flowers
1912 (160 Kb); Pastel on paper, 70.2 x 55.2 cm (27 5/8 x 21 3/4 in);
McNay Art Institute, San Antonio, TX
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La coquille (The Seashell)
1912 (160 Kb); Pastel on paper, 51 x 57.8 cm (20 1/2 x 22 3/4 in);
Musee d'Orsay, Paris
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The Red Sphinx
c. 1912 (220 Kb); Oil on canvas, 61 x 49.5 cm;
Private collection
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The Cyclops
c. 1914 (240 Kb); Oil on canvas, 64 x 51 cm;
Museum Kroller-Mueller, Otterlo, The Netherlands
© 30 Dec 1995,
Nicolas Pioch -
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