Closed Eyes - Odilon Redon
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Description
A serene and meditative portrait by French Symbolist Odilon Redon, capturing a figure in a state of quiet introspection.
Odilon Redon, a French artist associated with the Symbolist movement, painted Closed Eyes in 1890. This work depicts a serene, androgynous face emerging from a calm, water-like surface. The figure appears to be in a state of deep meditation or sleep, with eyes firmly shut. Redon uses a soft, ethereal application of paint to create a sense of mystery and introspection. The background consists of a uniform, pale blue tone that contrasts with the warmer, earthy hues of the skin.
Redon moved away from the objective representation of nature, preferring to explore the internal world of dreams and the subconscious. His technique often involved layering thin glazes of oil to achieve a luminous, almost translucent quality. The composition is minimal, focusing entirely on the head and shoulders of the subject. By removing external context, Redon forces the viewer to engage with the psychological state of the figure. The stillness of the water suggests a boundary between the conscious mind and the realm of imagination.
This painting is one of several versions Redon produced of this subject, including lithographic studies. It reflects his interest in the quiet, meditative aspects of human existence. The lack of sharp edges or rigid lines contributes to the dreamlike atmosphere. The figure seems to float, detached from any specific time or place. Through this work, Redon invites the viewer to pause and consider the quietude found within the mind. The subtle modulation of light across the face provides a sense of volume without relying on traditional chiaroscuro. It remains a primary example of his ability to render the intangible through the medium of oil paint.
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Because every print is made to order, we don't offer change-of-mind returns, refunds or exchanges. If your order arrives faulty, damaged or incorrect, we'll replace it free of charge — just contact us within 48 hours of delivery. See our refunds page for full details.
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Each print is produced to order using 12-colour giclée printing on FSC-certified archival paper. Designed in Britain and printed at your nearest production hub to reduce waste and speed up delivery.
Care and materials
Specific Features
Every Solis piece is made to order with archival, gallery-quality materials built to last.
- Museum-grade giclée printing for rich, fade-resistant colour
- Archival matte fine-art paper, FSC-certified
- Multiple sizes and framing options available
- Frames in black, natural wood, dark wood or white
- Framed prints arrive ready to hang
Care & Cleaning
To keep your artwork looking its best:
- Dust gently with a soft, dry cloth
- Avoid prolonged direct sunlight
- Never use liquid cleaners on the print or canvas surface
- Keep in a dry, room-temperature space
- Handle prints with clean, dry hands
Materials & Sizing
Museum-grade giclée on FSC-certified archival matte paper, with framed and canvas options.
- Paper sizes: A4, A3, A2, A1, A0 and B2 (50×70 cm)
- Canvas: XS (20×30 cm) to Large (60×90 cm)
- Frames: black, natural wood, dark wood or white
Closed Eyes - Odilon Redon
Artist Biography
Odilon Redon
For the first two decades of his career he worked exclusively in black: charcoal drawings and lithographs he called his noirs. Floating eyeballs, severed heads with closed lids, spiders with human faces, plants that grow teeth. The images are hallucinatory but precisely rendered, closer to medical illustration than fantasy. He published his first lithograph album, Dans le Reve, in 1879. Nobody noticed.
Recognition came sideways. In 1884, Joris-Karl Huysmans published A rebours, a novel about a reclusive aesthete who decorates his rooms with Redon's prints. The book became a cult text for the Symbolist movement and Redon became famous by association. Stephane Mallarme, the Symbolist poet, became a close friend. Redon also completed a series of lithographs dedicated to Edgar Allan Poe, whose poems Mallarme and Baudelaire had translated into French.
After 1900 he stopped making noirs entirely and shifted to colour: pastels and oils of flowers, mythological figures and butterflies in palettes that anticipate Matisse. The transition was so complete that the Surrealists later claimed the black work while the Fauves claimed the colour, and neither group seemed to notice they were talking about the same person.
He studied under Jean-Leon Gerome at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, which is an unlikely pairing: Gerome painted Roman gladiators with photographic precision. Redon painted eyeballs attached to balloons. Goya and Delacroix were the influences that actually stuck.
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