Bouquet of Flowers in a Blue Vase 1907

Odilon Redon made this painting of a bouquet of flowers in a blue vase, location currently unknown, and it looks like he really built up the paint in layers. Looking closely, there are so many different blues and browns swirling in the vase itself, it feels like Redon was trying to capture the vase as it appeared, but also how it felt to him. He used a similar technique with the flowers, blurring the distinction between the different species, and using the color to make relationships, not just imitate their appearance. Notice how the red in the poppies on the left is echoed in the petals on the right? It's a little like he's arranging a formal conversation between different parts of the canvas. It's interesting to think of artists like Redon in relation to people like Manet. They are doing similar things, but with very different intentions and very different results. With Manet, it's more about surface and coolness. With Redon, it is more about emotion. Ultimately, painting isn't about one single approach.