Odilon Redon, a French Symbolist artist renowned for his pastels, prints, and paintings, had a great affinity towards flowers. From 1904 onwards, he dedicated himself to creating flower compositions that often featured prominently in his exhibitions. The artist believed that his floral art was “at the confluence of two riverbanks: that of representation and memory.” Throughout his works, Redon frequently referenced classic and contemporary literature such as Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet.
Redon’s flower paintings were known for situating the bouquet within the realms of inner vision. Flowers is one such pastel artwork created around 1903 with white flowers drawn delicately against a black backdrop. The softness achieved by shading contrasts sharply with the darkness in which they are set. These pieces of art have been appreciated across centuries and continue to captivate artists’ attention till date.
In addition to lithographs that greatly influenced art history through their unique perspective on life and art expressed symbolically has also led to Odilon’s profound impact on transforming this genre into something deeply personal; intimate experiences conveyed through delicate scribbles or vivid brushstrokes has managed to convey emotions- at times powerfully jarring -that bridge gaps between generations allowing us appreciate beauty achieved through nature represented by depiction of florals- elements we haphazardly trample upon today without realizing their significance.
