Underwater Vision 

Odilon Redon created this suggestive pastel work on paper, Underwater Vision. The image is a swirl of dry pigments, dragged and rubbed into the support. The pastels Redon favored gave him freedom to express his inner visions; he prized them for their immediacy. See how the powdery pigment sits on the surface, creating a velvety texture. It’s far from the slickness of oil paint; it feels like a fleeting impression, something barely held in place. Notice how the black form dominates, but dissolves into granular texture. Beneath, are subtle hints of violet, suggesting an oneiric underwater landscape. The nature of pastels—their capacity for blending, and the directness of their application—lends itself to Redon’s Symbolist aesthetic. In the end, it's the qualities of impermanence and ephemerality, inherent in the pastel medium, which bring the work to life. It reminds us that even visionary art is fundamentally rooted in material experience, expanding our understanding of both art and craft.