Centaurs 1910

Odilon Redon’s ‘Centaurs’ is this dreamy, atmospheric painting, made with oil on canvas. Just imagine Redon, wrestling with these blues, browns, and creams, trying to conjure a mythical scene. It’s like he’s digging into the paint, smearing and building up texture, searching for those half-human, half-horse figures. I can almost feel the tension in his hand as he dabs and strokes, trying to make something ethereal and strange appear. There’s a real physicality to how the paint is applied, thick in some areas, thin and translucent in others. I think of other painters like Moreau and Goya, also haunted by visions. Ultimately, it’s this conversation across time, this constant exchange of ideas that inspires so much creativity. Redon’s painting isn’t trying to give us a fixed image, but rather opening up a space for us to dream and imagine.