Pegasus and Bellerophon c. 1888

Editor: We're looking at Odilon Redon's charcoal drawing, "Pegasus and Bellerophon," created around 1888. The dark tones give it such a mysterious, almost haunting feel. What's your take on this piece? Curator: Redon often grappled with themes of dreams, mythology, and the darker sides of human experience. Knowing this, the cultural fascination with myth in the late 19th century provided fertile ground for Symbolist artists like Redon, didn't it? The Pegasus myth was really embedded in the public consciousness at the time. Does the positioning of Bellerophon feel... unexpected to you? Editor: Yes! He’s beneath Pegasus, almost clinging to him. It's not the triumphant hero image I expect. Curator: Precisely! This challenges the conventional hero narrative. Is Redon commenting on power dynamics, perhaps the illusion of control? How the public at the time might have read images about societal hierarchy. Think about the role museums played in reinforcing or questioning those power structures, in that moment of history. Editor: That's a really interesting perspective. It shifts my understanding of the relationship between the hero, the mythical beast, and the viewer. Curator: And in understanding the artwork, don't you think it challenges not just the subject but our preconceived notions that works displayed publicly need to champion authority and classical values? We see instead a dreamscape of anxiety and wonder. Editor: This was a refreshing look at an established artist through a historical and cultural lens. Thank you! Curator: My pleasure. Thinking about the reception and the social power of an artwork in society is always crucial.