Butterflies 1913

Odilon Redon painted these butterflies on canvas, with oils, sometime around the turn of the century. I can just imagine Redon in his studio, squinting at these floating insects with a brush loaded with the perfect earthy red. He’s trying to get the wings just right, all papery and translucent, while they flit around the air. What I find so interesting is that the butterflies are both incredibly delicate and vibrantly colourful. The paint isn’t too thick, but there is a tactile quality to the surface, particularly to the ochre background, which gives the image a kind of dreamlike quality. It’s like Redon is trying to capture a fleeting moment or memory, using these small, delicate creatures as vehicles for emotion and imagination. I wonder what he was thinking about when he made this? Was he thinking about love or loss, or something else entirely? I can see this painting alongside other symbolist works, as well as in conversation with contemporary painters interested in colour and gesture. After all, artists are always responding to each other, building on what came before. It’s all one big, ongoing conversation.