The artwork, “Bazon: The Artist’s Cat,” is a creation of Odilon Redon from the year 1905. Embodying the Symbolist art movement, this oil on canvas measures 38.5 by 55.5 centimeters and falls within the genre of animal painting. As is characteristic of Symbolism, the work transcends direct representation and invites interpretation, suggestive of deeper meanings or emotions. Currently, the piece is held in a private collection.
In the artwork, the focal point is a reposeful cat, rendered with gentle contours and a warm, earthy palette that radiates a sense of calm. The surrounding elements appear to float in a dreamlike state against a vibrant, predominantly golden-yellow background that seems to evoke an atmosphere of mystique and enchanted stillness. Various forms and colors intermingle with the cat’s figure, lending the piece a rhythm and harmony emblematic of Redon’s harmonious compositions. These adjacent elements, which could possibly be interpreted as flora or other abstract shapes, contribute to the artwork’s overall ethereal quality, which invites viewers to ponder its symbolic potential.
