Odilon Redon

Born to a wealthy family in Bordeaux in 1840, Odilon Redon's parents urged him to become an architect. When he failed to gain entrance to Paris' École des Beaux-Arts, he returned to Bordeaux and took up sculpture, as well as etching and lithography. In 1870 he served in the Franco-Prussian war. After the war he returned to Paris and began to create visionary works of bizarre creatures and dreams in charcoal, which he called 'noirs'. He rose swiftly to fame when his work was discussed in Joris-Karl Huysmans' great, decadent novel A'Rebours, published in 1884. In the 1890s he moved into pastel and oil, still with an emphasis on Symbolism, and in 1903 was awarded the Legion of Honour. In 1913 he was given the largest single exhibition at the New York Armory Show, and he died three years later, aged 76.

For available works, please contact the gallery.