Odilon Redon – Myth and Dream

Finished Exhibition from April 2003 to March 2004

[ Deutsche Version ]

Odilon Redon was born in Bordeaux in 1840. As an artist, he did not seek to render an image of visible reality in his works, but, like his friend Mallarmé, to «open a door to enigma». Initially, his demonic figures and uncanny visions were rendered almost entirely in black charcoal drawings and lithographs. These dark works feature heads hovering in the air, isolated eyes, bizarre hybrid creatures. By uniting seemingly incompatible elements, Redon created an atmosphere that can be grasped associatively rather than rationally. Many of his imaginary creatures are to be seen in the context of the scientific findings of his age, most notably Darwin's theory of evolution.

Around the turn of the century, he made the breaktrough to colour, which he continued to develop with increasing intensity until his death in 1916. Flowers, women's faces, ships and mythological scenes became his preferred subject matter. In their magical luminositiy and unbridled flights of imagination, his works have lost none of their power to enchant and fascinate.

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