Blossoming, plate one from In Dreams 1879

Odilon Redon made this lithograph, Blossoming, plate one from In Dreams, sometime in the late 19th century in France. As one of the leading Symbolist artists, Redon explored the realms of dreams, mythology, and the subconscious. Redon was working in a time of rapid social and political change, and the rise of modernism. Many artists started to question the established norms of academic art. Redon's images reflect the Symbolist interest in exploring subjective experience. He draws on sources such as mythology, literature, and music. This plate prompts questions about the relationship between reality and imagination, or reason and unreason. What do the lithographic techniques and the swirling compositions evoke? Historians like myself examine Redon’s place in the artistic and intellectual culture of Paris. We consider the influence of figures such as Baudelaire, Moreau, and other Symbolist artists. By studying the cultural context of Redon's art, we can gain a deeper understanding of the complex ideas and emotions that he sought to convey.