Pivoines, Lilas, Roses et Feuillage dans un Grand Vase

Odilon Redon was a leading painter of French Symbolism at the end of the 19th century. Before 1900, he was famous for his mysterious and fantastical “noirs (black artworks),” which primarily consisted of lithographs and charcoal drawings. In the early 20th century, his style underwent a significant transformation as he began to use bright and dreamlike colours for paintings, with a particular focus on floral subjects. Redon applied the golden halos associated with divinity in traditional religious iconography to his depictions of flowers in vases, replacing realistic backgrounds. This innovation does not only make a breakthrough in the visual conventions of still lifes, through the fusion of colours and symbolism, it even elevates flowers beyond mere realism, imbuing them with a spiritual radiance and expanding the spiritual dimension of still lifes.