Redon

Redon (1840-1916)

French painter and printmaker.

The Smiling Spider 1881

Redon is quoted as saying that he would describe his work as 'ambiguous', that his drawings are to inspire and not to be defined. Working at the time of the Symbolist movement and the idea that art should be for art's sake and not to carry a moral message, Redon's works surely show facets of both of these.

The work above is curious and clearly not of the natural world and whilst it may be an interesting composition I have to admit it's not to my liking. But then I don't like spiders and the grotesque smile on this dancing creature just adds to its horror to me.

The Trees

Redon enjoyed making many drawings in charcoal and he titled these works his 'Noirs'.

In fact, when reading about him what comes across strongly to me is how much he experimented in materials to obtain black. There is available a 'Technical Investigation of Odileon Redon's Pastels and Noirs' available online and is interesting as it shows how scientific methods have been used to analyse his materials. Apart from vine charcoal Redon used black crayon, black chalk over broad tonal passages to outline and black pastel to produce intense blacks over grey or brown. The charcoal he dipped in linseed to produce a warmer tone, but this has soaked into the paper over time and changed the colour of the paper. He used, too, ground charcoal which was erased to produce forms and to create a sense of distance.

Redon was influenced by Rembrandt and his chiaroscuro techniques and the light/dark juxtaposition to create beings is evident in his drawings, as is a sense of sinister mystery which I think comes across even in the image above of two trees. They are almost personified; it wouldn't be surprising if they came to life as in children's horror stories. I like this drawing,Trees, much more than I do many of Redon's strange creatures, his one eyed Cyclops for instance and I think the reason I don't like them is because some of them convey a vulnerability, a pathos, that is uncomfortable.

In 1890 Redon moved towards a colour palette and used colour over charcoal underdrawings

Flower Clouds 1903

pastel with stumping, incising and brushwork on blue grey paper

This is a lovely, sensitive work of delicacy. Particularly lovely is the light in the flower clouds with their reflections in the water and with depth. And whilst Redon created many paintings that are ethereal in nature and not always to my taste I would appreciate seeing them in actuality as the online images are bound not to do them any justice.   

Just looking again at the online images of Redon's work and wanted to add this one.

Looks so simple, but brilliance of colour in the flowers and the black outlines of the vases make it

compelling. I assume it's coloured paper in the background - in style a long way removed from 'The Noirs'.