Woman among the Flowers 1910

Odilon Redon made this painting of a ‘Woman among Flowers’ sometime during his career, and I find it so freeing. The electric blues and reds are grounded by the golden browns of the background, and the woman is almost hidden amongst the abstract flowers that fill the canvas. I wonder about his process. Did he start with the figure, then add the flowers? Or did the arrangement of the bouquet come first? I can imagine him, balancing observation and intuition as he applied the paint in quick strokes. This is not about accurate representation, but about feeling. He must have known that a painting can express something beyond what we see. Thinking about other artists, I'm reminded of Paula Modersohn-Becker, who similarly infused her portraits with a certain emotional depth. Ultimately, painting is like a conversation. Artists are in an ongoing dialogue, inspiring each other. Each brushstroke, each color choice, is a response to the past and an invitation to the future.