Roger Marx 1904

Odilon Redon made this portrait of Roger Marx in 1904, using charcoal and maybe some graphite on paper. Look how the marks are so subtle, almost like whispers, creating this sense of a person emerging from the shadows. The beauty of this work is in its texture. Redon coaxes the charcoal to create a velvety surface, especially noticeable in the beard, where the marks seem to dissolve into each other. It’s as if the form is not fixed but constantly shifting, a fleeting impression. The restraint in the use of line and tone makes it feel incredibly intimate. It puts me in mind of Whistler, with a similar commitment to capturing a feeling more than a likeness. It reminds me that art is about seeing and feeling, and that meaning is never fixed.