Black Profile (Gauguin) 1906

Odilon Redon’s "Black Profile (Gauguin)" features a dark silhouette set against a vibrant backdrop of colors and floral motifs. The contrast between the figure and the setting creates a striking visual tension, drawing your eye into the composition. The hazy application of paint challenges traditional representational norms, focusing on evoking a mood rather than depicting a scene. Redon's use of color functions symbolically, and the juxtaposition of dark and light elements reflects the Symbolist movement's interest in the subjective experience and the exploration of inner psychological states. Redon was interested in the ambiguity of forms which is seen here in his emphasis on the interplay of darkness and light. This technique invites viewers to contemplate the symbolic dimensions of art and the nature of perception itself, reflecting a shift towards abstraction and emotional expression that was characteristic of modern art.