An artwork on Galleree from Cleveland Museum of Art.
About the artwork
Orpheusc. 1903–10
Odilon Redon
A leader of the symbolist movement in France, Odilon Redon was born in Bordeaux in 1840 and grew up in the surrounding region. During his early years he studied drawing, architecture, and the violin. A friendship with Armand Clavaud, a local botanist and philosopher, stimulated Redon's passion for romantic art and literature. In 1864, after a brief and discouraging period of instruction with Gérôme in Paris, Redon returned to Bordeaux, where he studied printmaking with Rodolphe Bresdin (1825-1885). Deploring the emphasis on rational, phenomenal experience in academic and naturalist art, Redon turned for inspiration to the imaginative paintings of Delacroix, the prints of Francisco José de Goya (1746-1828), and the poetry of Charles Baudelaire. In 1870, after military service in the Franco-Prussian War, Redon settled in Paris and produced his first <em>Noirs</em>. These visionary images, featuring floating eyes and severed heads born aloft on wings, reflect Redon's belief in the superiority of the imagination and fantasy, which he considered "the messenger of the unconscious." After producing his initial <em>Noirs </em>in charcoal, Redon discovered a method of transferring his drawings to lithography in 1876. Throughout the 1880s he continued to use charcoal, etching, and lithography as his primary media, and he produced twelve lithography albums before abandoning the genre in the late 1890s. During the 1880s Redon emerged as a leader of the symbolist reaction against impressionism. The publication in 1879 of his first lithographic album, <em>Dans le rêve</em>, followed by his first solo exhibition in 1881, attracted the admiration of J. K. Huysmans, who included illustrations by Redon in his novel <em>À rebours</em> (1884). Around the same time, Redon developed a personal and artistic relationship with poet Stéphane Mallarmé. Increasingly drawn into the public arena, Redon helped organize the Société des Artistes Indépendants in 1884. In 1886 he participated in the last impressionist exhibition and began showing with Les XX in Brussels. Redon's antinaturalist, visionary, art inspired many symbolist and Nabi artists, including Gauguin and Vuillard. Maurice Denis praised Redon as "our Mallarmé," and in 1892 critic Albert Aurier described Redon as a leader of the new "idealistic" tendency in art. After 1890 the focus of Redon's activity shifted from monochromatic drawings and prints toward exploring color in richly worked pastels. His innovations in luminous color, as seen in the pastel and oil paintings he exhibited at the Galeries Durand-Ruel in 1900 were greatly admired by Henri Matisse (1869-1954) and the Fauves. Awarded the Legion of Honor in 1903, Redon continued his leadership role in the avant-garde and in 1904 became a founding member of the Salon d'Automne. In 1913 forty of his works were selected for exhibition in the Armory Show, the most by any artist. Redon died at his home in Paris in the summer of 1916.
Drawn in vivid layers of pastel crayon, this work depicts the head of the poet and musician Orpheus. The story of the god of music, whose music carried on after his death through his lyre and head, fascinated Redon, who related to Orpheus's dedication to his art. The subject also aligned with Redon's broader interest in dreams and spirituality around this time and he represented Orpheus several times throughout his career, in various media. Here, the god's head floats as if in stasis while Mount Parnassus—the home of Apollo and the Muses—soars from behind.
Another version of this pastel (now in the collection of the Musée Fabre de Montpellier) was part of a group of later works by Redon shown at the 1913 International Exhibition of Modern Art—better known as the Armory Show—which introduced the artist to American audiences.
pastel on brown paper
Sheet: 68.8 x 56.8 cm (27 1/16 x 22 3/8 in.)
Gift from J. H. Wade
In a world awash with sound, there existed a realm where music thrived even beyond the confines of life. At the heart of that realm lived Orpheus, the poet and musician who, it is said, played melodies that could charm the wildest beasts and soften the hardest hearts. His story, steeped in both beauty and tragedy, captured the imagination of many, including the artist Odilon Redon, who found himself deeply moved by this iconic figure.
With immense tenderness, Redon breathed life into Orpheus through his art, drawing the god's head in vivid layers of pastel crayon. Each stroke carried a whisper of the enchanting music that flowed from Orpheus’s lyre, a melody that lingered in the air long after his own voice had faded. Redon resonated with Orpheus’s unwavering commitment to his craft, for he too understood the longing to create, to transcend the ordinary, and to reveal the extraordinary through artistry.
Surrounding the god's head—serene and suspended in something akin to stasis—towered Mount Parnassus, its majestic peaks a homage to Apollo, the god of music and poetry, and his celestial companions, the Muses. The mountain stood regal, a dramatic backdrop that celebrated the creative spirit. It was more than just an image; it was a reflection of Redon's own fascination with dreams and the spiritual realm that seemed to intertwine with his art.
This portrayal of Orpheus was not a solitary moment; rather, it was a part of a broader journey. Throughout his career, Redon would return to this muse, exploring the depths of inspiration and expression through various media. Each rendition served as a testament to the power of art, where stories unfold, entwining the creator and the muse, echoing through the corridors of time—a reminder that even in stillness, the music of life continues to resonate.
About the artist
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