Predestined Child 1904

Odilon Redon made this painting, “Predestined Child,” with oil on canvas, but when, exactly? Who knows! Look closely, and you’ll see it’s like a memory, all soft edges and glowing color. Redon’s paintings often feel like he’s chasing a feeling more than depicting a scene. The paint is applied in layers, kind of thin but built up, especially around the figure and flowers. It’s not about hiding the process, but about building something up, stroke by stroke. Notice the way the light seems to come from everywhere and nowhere. And that arm reaching out—is she touching something or dreaming it? Redon reminds me of other symbolist painters, maybe someone like Moreau. But he has a sensitivity to color and mark-making that feels very modern, almost like he's in conversation with painters who are yet to come. What does it mean to be “predestined”? What does it mean to paint a picture? Is it all just a dream?