Stained Glass Window (Allegory) 1908

Odilon Redon made this dreamlike painting titled 'Stained Glass Window (Allegory)' with oil on canvas sometime between 1900 and 1916. Look at how the colours seem to bloom from the canvas, the reds, oranges, and yellows vibrate as they push through the blues and greys. For me, the painting is all about the joy and wonder of seeing, and of the process of making itself. Redon’s application of paint is a real treat, he has built up layer upon layer to create a rich and tactile surface. The image has a definite edge of the gothic, with the arch shape and the suggestion of figures at either side, which gives the picture a very formal and slightly disturbing feel. Now, shift your attention to the patch of ochre near the top, to the right of the window frame, and notice how it seems to both blend into and stand out from its surroundings. In a way, that small blot sums up the whole picture. Redon's contemporary, Gustave Moreau comes to mind, another painter who favoured historical and mythical themes but who also allowed his paintings to remain open and ambiguous, inviting us to get lost in the process of looking.