The Black Pegasus 

Odilon Redon painted 'The Black Pegasus', some time towards the end of the 19th century, with oil on canvas. It's worth considering the significance of Redon choosing Pegasus, a symbol of poetic inspiration, but rendering it in such dark tones. This was a period when the French artistic establishment was under pressure, as avant-garde movements challenged traditional academic styles and the very definition of art itself. The Black Pegasus, set against a backdrop of swirling colors, embodies a sense of both the fantastic and the ominous. Redon was part of a generation that wanted to depict dreams and the unconscious, and this painting has been interpreted as a symbol of the artist's own struggle to find inspiration and meaning in a rapidly changing world. To understand this work, scholars turn to Redon's writings and the broader cultural context of Symbolism and early Modernism. Only through understanding the social and institutional context can we truly appreciate the meaning of this enigmatic artwork.