The Birth of Venus

French painter Odilon Redon (1840 – 1916) dissociated himself from all artistic movements and trends with his fantastic black and white depictions of amorphous creatures, and insects and plants with human heads. Inspired by his dreams, Redon equated his bizarre creations to music, with its ability to transport the audience to ambiguous realms. Redon’s nocturnal world was also related to writings by Poe, Baudelaire and Mallarmé. During the last 15 years of his life, Redon unexpectedly painted luminous pastels and radiant oils of flowers and mythological subjects. Producing 200 prints in his lifetime, Redon laid the groundwork for Surrealism and Dada.