Odilon Redon

Private Collection, Paris
Acquired by the present owner by the 1980s

Paris, Galerie Bernheim-Jeune, Odilon Redon 1840-1916, 1963, no. 36
Paris, Galerie L'Oeil, Exposition Filiger-Moreau-Redon, 1972, no. 28

Klaus Berger, Odilon Redon, Fantasy and Colour, Cologne, 1964, no. 436 (titled Vision Under Sea and as dating from 1904)
Alec Wildenstein, Odilon Redon, Catalogue raisonné de l'œuvre peint et dessiné, Mythes et Légendes, Paris, 1994, vol. II, no. 1301, illustrated p. 299

Executed on hand made blueish grey paper with natural fibers. Attached to its window mount with tape around all edges and these taped edges somewhat uneven. Verso: a handful of faint fax marks are visible mostly at upper center. Recto: the colors are especially fresh and vibrant. There are numerous tiny specks of dark color scattered throughout which look to be liquid in nature; they may be studio stains or some type of varnish. Some pinprick size depressions in the sheet near upper right corner above the central elements in the background. There is some natural undulation to the sheet especially visible on the right hand side of the sheet. Otherwise the work is in very good condition.
"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."

Flore sous-marine is an amalgamation of two of Odilon Redon's most celebrated artistic themes: flowers and the sea. It is a wonderfully evocative and ephemeral image of flowers dancing underwater. The work invites us into an indeterminate and ambiguous space, where silence reigns and time appears to have been suspended. Remarking upon the artist's series of underwater scenes in general, but in words that could have been written about the present work specifically, Klaus Berger has written of the way in which 'everything seems to be floating and yet sits so securely in its position that one would not like to move it a millimetre' (Klaus Berger, op. cit., 1964, p. 94).

Redon's mastery of pastel is unrivalled, and the present work is a wonderful example of such mastery, with areas of opacity in the bright blue flower complimenting the more translucent pastel tones that surround it. The medium was a true revelation for the artist: 'the pastel, in fact, gives me support, materially and morally, it has rejuvenated me' (Odilon Redon, in a letter to Andries Bonger, 1897). Redon appreciated pastel for its suggestive and mysterious qualities, for its impermanence and ability to flutter. The artist wanted his works to flutter and be reborn with every viewing. He relinquished authorial control and believed that the action of his works would be 'derived in the mind of the spectator, will incite him to fictions of great or small significance according to his sensitivity, and according to his imaginative aptitude for enlarging everything or belittling it' (quoted in Roseline Bacou, Odilon Redon, Pastels, London, 1987, p. 8).