Child's Head With Flowers
1897
Medium
Lithograph in black on light gray loose chine
Dimensions
Image: 29 × 24.6 cm (11 7/16 × 9 11/16 in.); Sheet: 42.9 × 32.6 cm (16 15/16 × 12 7/8 in.)
Classification
lithograph
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
79713
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
Odilon Redon's *Child's Head With Flowers (1897) is a hauntingly poetic lithograph that captures the Symbolist master's fascination with the ethereal and dreamlike. Printed in black ink on light gray loose ch—a delicate technique where thin Chinese paper is applied to a sturdier support for subtle tonal gradations—the image measures 29 × .6 cm. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints Drawings department, it exemplifies Redon's "Noirs," his celebrated series of moody, monochromatic works from the 1870s to 1890s. Redon, a pioneer of Symbolism, rejected the literalism of Realism and Impressionism, instead evoking mystery, innocence, and the subconscious through soft, blurred forms. Here, the child's tender face framed by flowers blends portraiture with fantasy, suggesting themes of purity amid the fin-de-siècle's spiritual introspection. Lithography allowed Redon to achieve velvety textures and atmospheric depth, akin to charcoal drawings, making prints accessible yet intimate. This piece reflects Redon's evolution toward color pastels later in life, but its ghostly elegance underscores his enduring influence on Surrealism and modern fantasy art, inviting visitors to ponder the fragile beauty of childhood dreams.
About the Artist
Odilon Redon · 1840–1916
Odilon Redon (1840-1916) was a French Symbolist painter, printmaker, and pastellist whose visionary art bridged the 19th-century Symbolist movement and 20th-century Surrealism. Born Bertrand Redon in Bordeaux on April 20, 1840, he earned the nickname "Odilon" from his mother Odile. His father, who made his fortune in the Louisiana slave trade, conceived Odilon in New Orleans before the family retu...