Butterflies (1913) by Odilon Redon

Butterflies - Odilon Redon - 1913

Artwork Information

TitleButterflies
ArtistOdilon Redon
Date1913
Mediumoil,canvas
Dimensions64.8 x 49.8 cm
Art MovementPost-Impressionism,Symbolism
Current LocationPrivate Collection

About Butterflies

“Butterflies” is an enchanting oil on canvas artwork by Odilon Redon, dated 1913. The piece, measuring 64.8 by 49.8 centimeters, embodies both Post-Impressionist and Symbolist elements. Notably categorized within the animal painting genre, the artwork belongs to a private collection. Its thematic focus and technique are testaments to the idiosyncratic style that defines Redon’s contribution to early modern art.

The artwork itself is a study of both color and form, presenting a collection of butterflies that seem almost suspended against a warm, neutral background. The painterly strokes and vibrant hues breathe life into these ethereal creatures, each butterfly rendered with varying degrees of detail and abstraction. The contrasts between the more defined insects and those that are mere suggestions of form play upon the Symbolist intent, perhaps alluding to the transient and elusive beauty of life.

Texture is palpable throughout the artwork; the oil paint creates a tactile experience, inviting inspection of not just the subjects but the surface of the canvas itself. Redon’s brushwork is both deliberate and free, suggesting movement and the fluttering of wings without articulating precise contours. The sense of movement grants the artwork a dreamlike quality, steering the viewer’s reception towards introspection and the contemplation of the unseen.

This piece is exemplary of Redon’s fascination with the natural world and his ability to infuse it with a sense of mystery and metaphor. The butterflies are not merely animals but symbols, carriers of meaning within the buttery light of the canvas that surrounds them. It is this synthesis of physical form and intangible significance that firmly places “Butterflies” within the pantheon of Redon’s celebrated oeuvre.

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