The artwork entitled “Flowers in a Vase” was created by the artist Odilon Redon around the year 1909. This piece is crafted using pastel on paper and measures 54.9 by 41.9 centimeters. Although the description states it is associated with the Realism movement, Redon is more widely recognized for his Symbolist works; therefore, there may be some subjectivity regarding the classification of this work. This piece falls within the genre of flower painting, which has a long-standing tradition in the history of art.
In the artwork, we observe a collection of flowers arranged within a vase. The vase itself is rendered in a muted, dark color, sitting centrally against a plain, neutral background that emphasizes the brightness and color of the flowers. The bouquet features a variety of flowers with petals in vivid reds, soft blues, and delicate whites. These flowers seem to be depicted with a blend of detail and impressionistic touches, as the pastel medium lends a softness and a certain degree of textural imprecision to the representation. The halo of color provided by the blossoms forms a delicate contrast with the stark simplicity of the vase, revealing Redon’s deft ability to work with color and light, characteristic of his later works which often emphasize dreamlike qualities over realistic depictions.
