“Black Profile (Gauguin),” created around 1906 by Odilon Redon, is an oil on canvas portrait that belongs to the Symbolism art movement. The artwork is housed in the Musée d’Orsay, located in Paris, France. This piece exemplifies the Symbolist tradition, characterized by an evocative, dream-like atmosphere that seeks to express the artist’s emotions and ideas rather than representing the physical world realistically.
The artwork presents a dark, almost silhouette-like profile of a person set against a textured and vibrant background. The person’s features are barely discernible, yet the profile contains a certain depth, suggesting a contemplative or inward-looking subject. Surrounding the profile are various colors and shapes that might be interpreted as flora or abstract forms. These elements create a stark contrast with the dark figure, facilitating an aura of mystery and inner reflection. The color palette used by Redon is filled with nuanced shades, with an emphasis on deep blues and greens that coalesce seamlessly with patches of brighter colors, possibly indicating flowers. This interplay of shadow and light, coupled with organic motifs, is emblematic of the Symbolist focus on the mystical and the psychological terrain.
