Melancholy 1876

Odilon Redon made this evocative image, "Melancholy," using a humble medium: pastel on paper. The softness of the pastel allows Redon to create subtle gradations of light and shadow. See how he builds up the form of the figure and the surrounding landscape with layers of delicate strokes? This layering gives the image a hazy, dreamlike quality that perfectly captures the mood of melancholy. Pastel is an interesting material. It sits between drawing and painting, and requires a surprising amount of labor. Each stick has to be carefully mixed from pigment, and the artist has to develop an understanding of how different colors will behave when blended. The finished artwork is fragile, the dry pigment susceptible to smudging. Redon elevates the pastel medium to the level of fine art, using it to explore complex themes of emotion and spirituality, proving that the most profound statements can emerge from the simplest of means.