Reflection by Odilon Redon (Interpretation and Analysis)

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Reflection
Source: Wikimedia Commons

As we drift towards winter, I thought I’d share a painting that reminds me of spring and summer. With its warm, vibrant colors and serene subject matter, it is certainly a piece for gentler weather.

Reflection depicts a woman, dressed in a long, flowing garment, gazing down at her reflection in an indistinct body of water. The landscape blurs together here, detail lost in a haze of bluish-purplish water, rolling blue hills, and a pinkish sky. Simply put, it is a feast for the eyes, a cheerful and peaceful painting that inspires introspective calm.

French artist Odilon Redon executed a number of these soothing, colorful paintings after recovering from a serious illness in 1895. During this period, he developed a dreamlike style that was heavily inspired by Japanese art and the natural world.

Redon himself was a rather revolutionary artist. His paintings and drawings are wildly creative and inventive, utilizing a unique and easily recognizable visual style. His early work is particularly interesting. As a young artist, Redon created a series of noirs, drawings and lithographs executed in shades of black. These pieces tend to be dark, bizarre, and melancholic. His strange and unique work inspired later generations of Surrealist painters and other modern art movements.

However, in my opinion, it is pieces like Reflection that cemented Redon’s legacy. To me, this painting is a confection of light and color. It’s beautifully dreamy, a painting that appeals to the soul as well as to the eye.

Disclaimer: I’m not an art historian or an expert on this topic. The above is my opinion, based on my interpretation of my foreknowledge of art and history. If I’ve done any additional research, I’ll note it above.

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