Cheval aile 1894

Curator: This ink drawing is entitled "Cheval aile", meaning winged horse, from 1894, by the French symbolist Odilon Redon. Editor: My first impression is that the horse appears both ethereal and trapped, simultaneously soaring and burdened by a weight too big for flight. Curator: Indeed, the contrast is striking. The darkness dominating the lower portion creates a stark division. Redon was deeply interested in the power of suggestion and the evocative potential of simple forms. The winged horse, or Pegasus, is a powerful symbol across many cultures, traditionally representing inspiration and freedom. Editor: And here, I feel like that familiar symbolism is deliberately subverted, no? It is more of a melancholy dreamscape rather than a heroic uplifting scene. Those bold lines creating a shadowy base certainly hold the creature down. It seems weighted by earthly concerns, no bright Olympus for this Pegasus. Curator: I agree completely. Redon often used mythological figures to explore psychological states. In this instance, he seems to be using Pegasus to symbolize the burden of the artistic spirit, the tension between creative aspiration and the constraints of reality. See how he used contrasts? The very sketchy light wings? What does it conjure for you? Editor: I like what you say. Those scratchy wings remind me of something unfinished or deteriorating. Maybe about trying to grasp the unattainable? All that stark contrast is quite intense, though... It's as if Redon is suggesting the cost of artistic vision or perhaps its ultimate futility. It gives me chills and makes me reflect. Curator: Precisely. Redon understood the emotional weight that symbols could carry. The fact that it's a drawing only emphasizes that state of becoming, rather than an imposing painting. The artist uses an accessible form to communicate a subtle, almost ghostly reality. Editor: It feels deeply intimate despite its grand theme, more a personal confession than a public declaration. Curator: Well said. Thank you for pointing that out, I might need to include your interpretation in my future lectures. Editor: It has been my pleasure! This discussion just made me think more profoundly about dreams and the subconscious!