Saint Anthony...Across their long hair... 19th-20th century

Editor: This is Odilon Redon’s "Saint Anthony...Across their long hair..." The stark blacks and whites create a dreamlike, almost unsettling atmosphere. What do you make of the relationship between the figures and their setting? Curator: Redon often engaged with literary themes, and this work reflects his engagement with Flaubert's "The Temptation of Saint Anthony." Consider the late 19th century, a time of social anxieties and evolving roles for women. What might the chained figure represent in relation to Saint Anthony’s spiritual struggle? Editor: Perhaps the chains symbolize societal constraints, or the burdens that tempt Saint Anthony. Curator: Precisely. Redon used imagery to explore the psychological and societal tensions of his era. How might the image’s ambiguity contribute to its lasting power? Editor: It lets the viewer project their own interpretations onto the work, making it relevant across time. Curator: Exactly. It prompts us to confront our own temptations and social contexts.