Odilon Redon: 1840-1916: the Prince of Dreams - Hardcover

Gibson, Michael

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 383655321X ISBN 13: 9783836553216

Publisher: Taschen America Llc, 2017

Synopsis

A major Symbolist artist, Odilon Redon (1840–1916) was also a painter of scenic and emotional extremes. Until around 1890, he was renowned for work in black and white only. These “Noirs” in charcoal drawing or lithograph were composed not only of a sombre palette, but also by fantastic, frightening figures. Gradually, the artist began to introduce colored pastel, and with it, new and lighter motifs. Flowers became a recurring preoccupation. Where symbols of melancholy once stood, horses and fluttering butterflies entered the scene.

While this latter-day lyricism and harmony contrasted sharply with Redon’s earlier mood of melancholy, his guiding principle remained to “place the visible at the service of the invisible”. With his dream-like imagery, sumptuous textures, and suggestive use of color, Redon sought to create a pictorial equivalent to his own psyche. From foreboding to lightness, he was above all an artist of states of mind, with considerable influence on later Post-Impressionism.

About this title

About the Author:

Michael Gibson was an art critic, art historian, anthropologist, writer, and philosopher. He wrote on art for numerous publications like The New York Times and Connaissance des Arts. Gibson was editor-in-chief of UNESCO's World Heritage review. His many books include Redon and Symbolism, both published by TASCHEN.

Review:

"My drawings inspire, and are not to be defined. They place us, as does music, in the ambiguous realm of the undetermined." (Redon)"

About this edition

• Publisher: Taschen America Llc
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 383655321X
• ISBN 13: 9783836553216
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 95