Eye Balloon (1898) by Odilon Redon

Eye Balloon - Odilon Redon - 1898

Artwork Information

TitleEye Balloon
ArtistOdilon Redon
Date1898
Art MovementSymbolism

About Eye Balloon

The artwork “Eye Balloon” was created by the artist Odilon Redon in 1898. It is a symbolic painting that aligns with the Symbolism art movement, a genre known for its use of metaphorical imagery to evoke emotions and ideas. The artwork portrays a powerful image of an eye-shaped balloon floating in the sky, a manifestation of Symbolist preoccupation with vision, perception, and the unseen.

This evocative work transcends literal interpretation to introduce elements of mystery and introspection. The balloon, detailed with the anatomy of a human eye, occupies the central focus of the composition. It is suspended high above a dark and indistinct horizon, bound to a small basket by delicate lines that suggest fragility. The eye’s stare is inescapable, symbolically overseeing the landscape below. Dark, sketch-like strokes create a sense of depth and movement in the sky, while the horizon below hints at a divide between the known and the unknown worlds.

The vastness of the sky and the isolated positioning of the eye balloon evoke a sense of solitude and surveillance. Through visual elements, Redon explores the tension between the visible world and the internal psyche, hinting at the omnipresence of an inner vision or consciousness. The textural and tonal variations of the artwork contribute to an atmosphere that is both dreamlike and ominous, a tableau that captures the Symbolist intent to probe beyond the physical realm into the domain of the metaphysical.

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