ODILON REDON

                                                                      

ODILON REDON

In 1905 French artist Odilon Redon painted The Buddha. The image is a perfect reflection of the symbolic transition from redon earlier works which vastly included plant life with human heads to his later years, which mainly represented translucent oneness.

The scene depicts The Buddha next to an illuminated tree, the two main subjects in the picture, and the only two objects that are well defined and in focus. the blue and golden hues of the sky, together with the green and yellow shades of the landscape, create a unique blend of color's at the horizon, resulting in a phantasmal setting. the entirety of the image is drawn vertically, from the long, upright limbs of the tree to the standing figure of the Buddha including  the tall , thin staff that he holds between his elongated fingers. Some believe that the image is that the path of oneness can be achieved by each and everyone of us, and the Redon encourages  the viewer to partake in the adventure with him.