Fishing Village, Brittany 1883

Editor: So, this is Odilon Redon's "Fishing Village, Brittany," and it’s at the Harvard Art Museums. The way he’s handled the oil paint gives the scene such a dreamlike, almost melancholic feel. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Ah, Redon. He dips his brush not just in pigment, but in the very essence of reverie. Notice how the muted blues and browns conspire to create a landscape that’s as much a memory as a place. Doesn't it feel like a half-remembered dream of a seaside town? Editor: It does! I was so focused on the colours. The way you describe it makes me think about what isn’t there, too. Curator: Exactly! Redon often invites us into the spaces between things, doesn’t he? The quiet hum of a reality filtered through a very particular, poetic sensibility. A village, yes, but also a state of mind. Editor: I see what you mean. It's a landscape of the mind. Thanks for sharing that! Curator: My pleasure! Art is all about shared dreams and whispered secrets, wouldn't you agree?