Collection: Odilon Redon

Odilon Redon (20 April 1840 – 6 July 1916) was a French Symbolist draftsman, printmaker, and painter. Early in his career, both before and after fighting in the Franco-Prussian War, Redon worked almost exclusively in charcoal and lithography, works known as his noirs. He gained recognition after his drawings were mentioned in the 1884 novel À rebours (Against Nature) by Joris-Karl Huysmans. During the 1890s, Redon began working in pastel and oil, which quickly became his favorite medium, abandoning his previous style of noirs completely after 1900.

He developed a keen interest in Hindu and Buddhist religion and culture, which increasingly showed in his work. Redon is perhaps best known today for the dreamlike paintings created in the first decade of the 20th century, which were inspired by Japanese art and leaned toward abstraction. His work is considered a precursor to Surrealism.

He studied under Jean-Léon Gérôme. His style took its cues from Henri Fantin-Latour, Eugène Delacroix, and Francisco Goya. Among his canonical works are The Cyclops, Les Yeux clos, and The Birth of Venus. He worked primarily in genre art, history painting, and allegory. He is associated with the Symbolism current.