Decorative Panel 1902

Odilon Redon made this Decorative Panel, probably in oil, with all these delicious pastel-like hues, and when I look at it, I think of the touch involved, the actual dabbing and swirling and coaxing of the paint to evoke this sensation of floating, of being among the flowers. I can imagine Redon in his studio, maybe a bit of music playing, lost in this world of his own creation, deciding which color goes next to another, how much pressure to apply with the brush. The yellow and white hues, like dots of light, seem to lift the whole scene up, while the darker reds and blues anchor it, giving it depth and a sense of groundedness. Look at that cluster of yellow flowers in the lower left – the way they seem to burst forth with energy, like a little sun of their own. You can see Redon's conversation with artists like Monet and others who were pushing the boundaries of what painting could be, finding new ways to express the inner life through the outer world. Each dab feels alive with possibility.