Madness (1882) by Odilon Redon

Madness - Odilon Redon - 1882

Artwork Information

TitleMadness
ArtistOdilon Redon
Date1882
Art MovementSymbolism

About Madness

The artwork entitled “Madness” was created by the artist Odilon Redon in the year 1882. It represents the Symbolism art movement and falls under the genre of sketch and study. As a notable work of this period, it captures the essence of Symbolism through its evocative and perhaps emotive portrayal.

The artwork features the profile of a face, predominantly female in appearance, set against a bold triangular shape that creates an arresting contrast between light and darkness. The characteristics of the face—the downcast eye and the somber expression—evoke a sense of introspection or melancholy. Redon’s use of delicate lines to sketch the features of the face contributes to a fragile and thoughtful representation, which is strongly associated with the Symbolist desire to depict the inner emotional reality rather than external appearances.

The choice to title the piece “Madness” infuses the artwork with a sense of narrative, suggesting that the emotion captured in this profile is one of deep psychological complexity. The interplay between the stark geometry and the soft human features may reflect on the tension between rationality and the irrationality of the human psyche, a theme that Redon and his Symbolist contemporaries often explored in their work.

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