Figure devant un arbre 

Odilon Redon made this artwork, titled Figure devant un arbre, using pastel on paper. Redon was a master of this medium, which is essentially pure pigment, bound into sticks with just enough medium to hold them together. Look at how he's used the material here: the velvety texture of the pastel creates a soft, dreamlike atmosphere, perfect for Redon's Symbolist aesthetic. The pastel is applied in layers of hatched strokes, allowing the color of the paper to show through. This not only adds depth and luminosity to the image, but also hints at the way pastels are made. The lack of fixative in the pastels means that the image is fragile and subject to smudging, so the artist has to be deliberate in its application. It’s a reminder that making art requires labor, and that the materials and techniques used are never neutral – they shape not only what we see, but also how we understand the world. By paying attention to these choices, we can better appreciate the artist’s vision.