The artwork titled “Portrait of Violette Heymann” was created by the artist Odilon Redon in 1910. This portrait is rendered using pastel on paper and measures 72 by 92 centimeters. It is a product of the Symbolism art movement, a genre that emphasizes the symbolic, suggestive and emotive quality of the depicted subjects and motifs. The genre of this particular piece is a portrait, focusing on the representation of the individual, Violette Heymann.
The artwork is a captivating fusion of realism and dream-like symbolism. The subject, Violette Heymann, is depicted in profile seated against an ornate background bursting with an ethereal array of flowers and abstract forms. Her expression is contemplative and serene, with subtle shading highlighting the contours of her face. While her features are painted with a sense of clarity and delicacy, the background blossoms into a fantasy of colors and shapes, indicative of Redon’s signature fascination with the imagination and the unseen.
Dressed in a period garment, the sitter emanates a sense of elegance and poise. The contrast between the tangible, realistic rendering of the subject’s form and the vibrant, otherworldly surroundings is a hallmark of Symbolist art, seeking to evoke rather than to describe. Redon’s use of pastel enables a softness and intensity in the hues that contribute to the overall atmospheric quality. The artwork is a testament to Symbolism’s focus on depicting the inner experiences and emotions of the human psyche, rather than the external, observable world.
