Odilon Redon

Huinck Collection, Amsterdam
Sale: Fred Muller & Co., Amsterdam, 1955
E. J. Van Wisselinghe & Co., Amsterdam (purchased at the above sale)
Galerie Dr Willy Raeber, Basel (acquired from the above in 1956)
Mr & Mrs Werner E. Josten, New York (acquired circa 1956)
Thence by descent to the present owner

Amsterdam, Huinck en Scherjon, Verzameling can Kunsthandel Huinck en Scherjon N. V., 1953, no. 24
New York, Paul Rosenberg & Co., An Exhibition of Paintings and Pastels by Odilon Redon, 1959, no. 10, illustrated (titled La Chute de Phaéton)
New York, Museum of Modern Art & Chicago, The Art Institute of Chicago, Odilon Redon, Gustave Moreau, Rodolphe Bresdin, 1961-62, no. 21, illustrated in colour in the catalogue (titled La Chute de Phaéton)
New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Summer Loan Exhibition: Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture from Private Collections, 1963
New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Summer Loan Exhibition: Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture from Private Collections, 1966, no. 141
New York, Paul Rosenberg, M. Knoedler & Co., Perls Gallery, E. V Thaw & Co., Saidenberg Gallery, Stephen Hahn, Pierre Matisse Gallery, André Emmerich Gallery, Odyssia & Cordia & Ekstrom Gallery, Seven Decades, 1895-1965: Crosscurrents in Modern Art, 1966, illustrated in the catalogue (titled La Chute de Phaéton)

Klaus Berger, Odilon Redon, Fantasie und Farbe, Cologne, 1964, no. 150
René Huyge, La Relève du Réel. La peinture française au XIXième siècle. Impressionnisme et Symbolisme, Paris, 1974, illustrated fig. 252
Norio Awazu, Redon: oeuvres choisies et présentées par le Nippon Art Center, Tokyo, 1975, no. 3, illustrated in colour
Alec Wildenstein, Odilon Redon, Catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre peint et dessiné. Mythes et légendes, Paris, 1994, vol. II, no. 874, illustrated p. 64

The canvas is strip-lined and there are no signs of retouching visible under UV light. Apart from some light surface scratch-marks to the bottom right quadrant, this work appears to be in good condition. Colours: Overall fairly accurate, although the blue tones in the upper part of the work are slightly lighter and fresher in the original.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Phaéton is a stunning example of Symbolist painting by one of the period's great talents: Odilon Redon. The subject has been interpreted countless times over the history of art by such luminaries as Rubens, Delacroix, Moreau and Renoir, though few are as powerful as the present work.

Phaeton was the son of the sun-god Helios whose chariot pulled the Sun across the sky. Phaeton, young and impulsive, demanded to try to drive the chariot but the pull was too strong and the chariot crashed into earth. In order to prevent the destruction of the earth Zeus threw a thunderbolt at the chariot, killing Phaeton.

As a fable it is a powerful one and as in the present work commandeers the viewer into considering his impulsions before acting. Yet to put across such a potent mythology the artist must be at his best. Redon's colours mix harmoniously with the novel composition of the main figures; which are placed in the bottom third of the painting. The textured surface of the pigment brings the work to life: oranges and blues are overlaid to form a swirling explosion of cloud from Phaeton's rich orange-red cloak. The depiction of the horses is typical of Redon in which he boasts his exquisite talents of draughtsmanship. The necks of the horses compliment one another, one with head down and the other with neck rising into the centre of the painting. Phaéton is perhaps a true reflection of the power of classical myth when fused with a 1910 appreciation of colour and form.