Large Green Vase with Mixed Flowers 1910 - 1912

Odilon Redon created this still life of mixed flowers using pastels sometime between 1840 and 1916. You can tell that Redon was searching for something, smudging and layering his marks to find just the right balance. I imagine Redon working on this, surrounded by pastels of all shades, figuring out how to make this vase of flowers sing. How to capture light, the velvety texture of the petals, the weight of the vase. Look how the marks dance and shimmer across the surface, giving the image a dreamlike quality. Those bright red poppies really pop. I love how they contrast with the softer pinks and purples, those gentle lilacs. It makes me think about other artists who were playing with color and form at the time, like his contemporary, Monet. These artists are always egging each other on. It’s one big conversation about light and color. Painting never gets old, and you never run out of things to say.