Odilon Redon
(1840-1916) is a French Symbolist artist known for his greatly sensitive and
imaginative artworks. While his real name is Bertrand-Jean Redon, he called
himself and is better known as Odilon, a nickname that came from his mother’s
name, Odile. He spent his early childhood apart from rest of his family, an
experience that seems to have created a psychological trauma that later on
affected his artworks.
Odilon did not lead a
successful career as an artist until he reached his forties. He started
painting at a young age, winning a prize for drawing at eleven. But until
mid-twenties, failure to become an architect and failure to fit into a
respectable art studio as his family wished left him with nothing but
uncertainties. It was, ironically, a war that provided him a rest from those
troubles. A brief but active participation as a soldier in Franco-Prussian War
in 1870 gave him time to rethink about his uncertain life. Afterwards, he
adopted a more positive and deliberate perspective on his future career as an
artist, and began, at last, to produce more expressive and mature works.
Guardian Spirit of the Waters, 1878
The Smiling Spider, 1881
While Odilon’s style went
through various small changes, the main stylistic transition occurred in 1890s.
Before then, his works mainly consisted of “noirs”, black and white images done
mostly in lithography and charcoal. As seen in the examples of Guardian Spirit of the Waters and Guardian Spirit of the Waters, it is clear
that Odilon sought creativity in his paintings. I like how his paintings
are strangely serene even with monstrous and grotesque subjects. That
disturbing yet serene quality was one of the things about Odilon’s paintings
that stood out the most to me. He once defined his art as putting “the logic of
the visible at the service of the invisible.” Odilon constantly shifts back and
forth from reality to fantasy. While bringing out his inner state of mind, he
keenly observed the nature to do so.
Buddha, 1905
Yellow Boat, 1910
Bouquet in a Persian Vase, 1910
During the 1890s, a series of
events like Odilon’s success at the 1894 Durand-Ruel exhibition and the selling
of his old family home in 1897 influenced him to acquire yet another new
perspective of life. He became more inventive in use of colors to express his
imaginations. Odilon’s “noirs” were gradually replaced by more colorful
paintings that were filled with joy and happiness.
During the 1890s, a series of
events like Odilon’s success at the 1894 Durand-Ruel exhibition and the selling
of his old family home in 1897 influenced him to acquire yet another new
perspective of life. He became more inventive in use of colors to express his
imaginations. Odilon’s “noirs” were gradually replaced by more colorful
paintings that were filled with joy and happiness.
Silence, 1911
Silence is one
of my personal favorites of Odilon’s works. Silence was among the first Odilon’s
paintings I encountered. With this very simple painting of one person in a
circular frame, he conveys sorrow, agony, and a stunning “silence” so
effectively. The painting’s overall secretive nature, enhanced by the lowered
gaze of the figure and the two fingers put on his/her mouth, makes me
experience different feelings and thoughts every time I watch the painting.
Closed Eyes, 1890
Closed Eyes is my
another favorite. The figure’s closed eyes, typical subject of Odilon, again
gives off a secretive silence. But this time, the silence is warm, and it seems
like it is there for me to find peace within myself. The softness of pastel enhances
the warmness and intimacy of the painting.
Sources
Redon, Odilon. Bouqeut in a Persian Vase. 1910. Odilon Redon The Complete Works. Web. 29
September 2013.
Redon, Odilon. Buddha. 1905. Odilon Redon The Complete Works. Web. 08 October 2013.
Redon, Odilon. Closed Eyes. 1890. Odilon Redon The Complete Works. Web. 29 September 2013.
Redon, Odilon. Guardian Spirit of the Waters. 1878. Odilon Redon The Complete Works. Web. 01
October 2013.
Redon, Odilon. Silence. 1911. Odilon Redon The Complete Works. Web. 29 September 2013.
Redon, Odilon. The Smiling Spider. 1881. Odilon Redon The Complete Works. Web. 29
September 2013.
Redon, Odilon. Yellow Boat. 1910. Odilon Redon The Complete Works. Web. 01 October 2013.
<Information Sources>
Druick, Douglas
W., et al. Odilon Redon: prince of
dreams, 1840-1916. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1994. Print.
Hobbs, Richard. Odilon Redon. Billericay, Essex: Little,
Brown and Company, 1977. Print.
Selz, Jean. Odilon Redon. Trans. Eileen B. Hennessy.
New York: Crown Publishers Inc., 1971. Print.
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