The artwork “Woman with Flowers” by Odilon Redon was created in the year 1903 and is a quintessential example of the Symbolist movement. This pastel on paper measures 66.04 x 50.17 cm and portrays a portrait genre. Currently, the piece resides within a private collection, hidden from public view but resonant with the unique stylistic approaches of the time.
Describing the artwork thoroughly, it displays a vivid array of colors with bright flowers dominating the composition. The flowers are rendered with a dreamlike quality, a hallmark of Redon’s style. The central figure in the artwork is a woman, yet her form is delicately intertwined with and partially obscured by the floral arrangement, making her a part of the tableau rather than its sole focus. This blend of human and natural elements is characteristic of Symbolism, where color and form are often used to suggest ideas and evoke emotions rather than to depict reality with precision. The background is abstract, with textural strokes that do not delineate a clear setting, thus the entirety of the artwork is imbued with a sense of the ethereal and mystical.
