Esquisse pour ‘Le Char d’Apollon’ 

Odilon Redon made this sketch for 'Le Char d’Apollon' without a precise date. It represents the Greek god Apollo, and hints at the artist's complex relationship with classical traditions. Redon’s symbolist art emerged in France, during a period of rapid social change and intellectual ferment. The French Third Republic was marked by the rise of new sciences, like psychology, and a renewed interest in spirituality and the occult. Redon drew inspiration from classical mythology, but he also infused his work with his own psychological and emotional concerns. He used mythological figures like Apollo to explore themes of light and darkness, reason and emotion, and the power of the imagination. As art historians, we can research Redon’s biography, his letters, and his writings to understand better his artistic vision and his place in the cultural landscape of his time. The meaning of Redon’s art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.