Odilon Redon, "Violette Heymann"
I have always been attracted to the work of this week's artist, Odilon Redon, (1840-1916). Maybe it's the colors, maybe the simple composition, but I think most likely I am attracted to the way he balances his uncanny skills while creating almost child-like imagery. Here we have a portrait of a beautiful young woman while dancing all around her are these fun and imaginative shapes looking somewhat like flowers, organic greenery.
It is a puzzle to me why he did her in profile. Maybe it was her preference, maybe not. But the work tells us less about her and more about Redon and his style of art. She looks pleasant, but otherwise provides little expression, and the shapes around her bounce away from her face and body almost like they are in motion. It is almost a dreamlike setting.
Odilon Redon was one of those independent artists whose work didn't nicely fall into early modern movements. He did become leader of a small group tagged the symbolism movement, a style with a new idealistic tendency. It is possible this interest stemmed from his experiences after serving in the Franco-Prussian War.
Our image is a portrait of Violette Heymann, who was the young niece of Parisian collector, Marcel Kapferer. It was done in 1910, and my references say Redon did a lot of commissioned portrait work at this time. I am sure it was a lucrative way of earning essential income. Kapferer kept this portrait in his collection until 1926, when, for unknown reasons, he sold it to the Cleveland Museum of Art.
One other very interesting note is that in 1913, three years after this work was completed, 40 other pieces of Redon's art were selected for exhibition in the famous traveling Armory Show, the most of any artist. Many of the great artists whose names have become household names today, had a few in the show, but it was Redon who took the title for "most".
"Violette Heymann" was done in 1910. It is a pastel on paper measuring 28 by 36 inches and is part of the permanent collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio.
Make Art a part of your life, it's a beautiful thing to do.
This is a new artist to me and excitingly colorful. The chair leaning back, and her profile position takes her into the beautiful surrounding, giving them a connection. The blue colors form an arch bringing them closer together. She is a soft, feminine figure. Her long dark hair gives balance to the bright florals on the left. I like the combination of the realistic and the imaginary! Creative and lovely composition! He leaves enough empty space around her to highlight her..
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