Lunacy 1880

Curator: This haunting piece is Odilon Redon’s "Lunacy," currently residing here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: My first thought? Melancholy. The woman’s gaze, that sharp geometric shadow... it’s like a memory pressing in. Curator: The geometric shape, that triangle, is a symbol of stability, yet here it seems to confine and darken. Think of the cultural weight of triangles and their use in occult symbology. Editor: Exactly. It almost feels like a thought bubble gone wrong, trapping her in her own mind. Redon was exploring the edges of consciousness, wasn't he? Curator: Precisely. He was fascinated by dreams and the subconscious, exploring the symbolic weight of inner experience, madness, and insight. Editor: I like that, insight. It makes me see her expression as more than just sad. More like she knows something we don’t. Curator: Perhaps Redon is suggesting that lunacy isn't just madness, but a different way of perceiving. It makes you question what we consider normal. Editor: Definitely gives you pause, doesn't it? A little reminder to look deeper than the surface.