Saint John (The blue tunic) 1892

Odilon Redon created this ‘Saint John’ using pastels, a medium where pure pigment is bound into sticks. The relative ease with which pastels can be applied allowed Redon to work quickly, layering colors to create a luminous effect. The powdery nature of the pastels gives the surface a delicate, almost dreamlike quality, which matches the Symbolist aesthetic Redon favored. It invites you to consider the inherent qualities of the substance, texture, weight, and color of this piece. The strokes of color build up the form gradually, and the softness of the medium contributes to the image's ethereal quality. It’s fascinating to think of Redon carefully selecting each pigment, grinding them, and then combining them with a binder to form the pastels themselves. Paying attention to the materials and the making helps us understand the artwork more fully, pushing beyond traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.