Odilon Redon

Odilon Redon (Bertrand Redon; 1840 – 1916) was a French Symbolist artist. Early in his career, Redon worked almost exclusively in charcoal and lithography, creating works known as his 'noirs’. He gained recognition after his drawings were mentioned in the 1884 novel ‘À rebours’ (Against Nature). During the 1890s, Redon began working in pastel and oil, which quickly became his favourite medium, completely abandoning his previous style of ‘noirs’ after 1900. His work, often inspired by Japanese art and leaning towards abstraction, is considered a precursor to Surrealism. His art is associated with the Post-Impressionism and Symbolism movements.