Profile of a Child (Profile of a Girl with Bird of Paradise) 1908

Odilon Redon made this image of a girl with a bird of paradise, but we don’t know exactly when or how. Redon’s marks are so delicate, almost hesitant, like he's feeling his way through the subject. The colors feel like whispers, light washes that barely settle on the surface. It's like he's trying to catch a dream before it fades away. Look at the way the colors blend together in the bird's feathers, how the reds melt into yellows and oranges. It’s so fluid and ethereal, like the bird is made of light and air rather than flesh and blood. The paint is thin, transparent, allowing the white of the paper to shine through. This gives the whole image a sense of lightness, as if the forms are dissolving into the surrounding space. Redon reminds me of other symbolists, like Gustav Moreau. Both artists had this interest in the inner world and in making images that felt more like dreams than reality. Ultimately, Redon teaches us that art isn't about certainty, but about embracing the mystery and endless possibilities of seeing.