Vase of Flowers 1904

Odilon Redon made this Vase of Flowers, in what looks like oil on canvas, and you can tell that he's really thinking through the process of putting paint on the surface. The colors aren’t blended so much as built up in layers, creating a sort of shimmering effect. Look at the vase itself: it's this deep, dark blue, but then there are strokes of orange and yellow peeking through, giving it this unexpected glow. I mean, who thinks to put orange under blue? Redon, apparently. It's like he's not just painting what he sees, but what he feels. And that one red poppy that’s drooping on the left; it’s so full of drama! There's a lot here that reminds me of Van Gogh. It’s like they’re both in conversation about how to make paint feel alive. Art is an ongoing exchange of ideas, always up for new interpretations.