Odilon Redon ( April 20, 1840 - July 6, 1916) was a symbolist painter and printmaker active in France from the late 19th century to the early 20th century. Known for his works that deal with dreams, fantasies, and the inner world, his unique style also influenced the later Surrealism movement.

Odilon Redon Biography

• April 20, 1840: Born in Bordeaux, France. Raised in a wealthy family, he was said to have been sickly and introverted from an early age.
• 1855: Begins studying painting in Bordeaux.
• 1864: He went to Paris and took the entrance exam for the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts but failed. He then studied printmaking under the printmaker Ludovic Bresdin and mastered printmaking techniques.
• 1870: Served in the Franco-Prussian War.
• 1872: He returns to Paris and begins his career as a painter.
• 1878: His first collection of prints, In Dreams, was published. This work made Redon famous.
• 1890s: He began to experiment with pastels and oil paintings, producing works rich in color.
• 1903: Awarded the Legion of Honor.
• July 6, 1916: Died in Paris.

Representative works

• In a Dream (Dans le Rêve) (1879)
• "To Edgar Poe" (1882)
• The Temptation of Saint Anthony (1888)
• With Closed Eyes (Les Yeux clos) (1890)
• "The Laughing Spider" (L'Araignée souriante) (1881)
• Ophelie (1900-1905)
• "The Chariot of Apollo" (1905-1910)

Style

Redon's early works are characterized by fantastical images drawn in black charcoal and lithographs, known as "noir (black)". These works are inspired by dreams, the unconscious, literature and mythology, and stimulate the imagination of the viewer.

From the 1890s onwards, he began to use pastels and oil paintings to create works filled with vivid colours and light. His works, which feature motifs of flowers, mythology and religion, are rich in symbolic meaning and appeal deeply to the inner world of the viewer.

Redon's works blur the boundaries between reality and fantasy, and between the conscious and the unconscious, inviting the viewer into his inner world. His poetic and mysterious expressions have fascinated many people throughout the ages.