Orpheus - Odilon Redon
Archival giclée
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Description
A dreamlike Symbolist work by Odilon Redon, depicting the head of Orpheus resting upon his lyre in soft, luminous pastel tones.
Odilon Redon, a central figure in the Symbolist movement, produced this work during his later period, when he moved away from his earlier monochromatic 'noirs' to embrace a luminous, saturated palette. The subject is the Greek mythological figure Orpheus, whose severed head is depicted resting upon his lyre. This theme occupied Redon repeatedly, reflecting his interest in the intersection of music, poetry, and the subconscious mind.
The composition is defined by its dreamlike atmosphere. The head of Orpheus, rendered in soft, golden tones, appears to float within a hazy, ethereal space. Redon uses pastel to create a texture that feels both solid and intangible. The surrounding environment is composed of deep purples, browns, and hints of floral motifs, which suggest a natural setting without adhering to strict realism. The lyre, positioned beneath the head, acts as a structural anchor, its strings and frame providing a rhythmic contrast to the soft, blurred forms of the background.
Redon prioritised the expression of internal states over the objective representation of the external world. By focusing on the myth of Orpheus, he explores themes of loss, artistic devotion, and the persistence of song beyond physical death. The application of pastel allows for a unique luminosity, where colours seem to glow from within the paper surface. This work demonstrates his mastery of light and shadow, creating a sense of mystery that invites quiet contemplation. The absence of sharp edges or rigid lines contributes to the overall feeling of a vision captured in a moment of transition. It is a characteristic example of how Redon transformed classical narratives into personal, evocative imagery through his distinctive use of colour and form.
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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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Manufacturing
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
Orpheus - 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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