Hallucinations

Art Historical Context

Odilon Redon’s *Hallucinations* exemplifies the artist’s celebrated “noir” drawings, created with charcoal on tan paper to produce haunting, atmospheric effects. A leading figure of the Symbolist movement in late nineteenth-century France, Redon explored the mysteries of the human psyche rather than observable reality. Here, the medium’s velvety blacks and subtle gradations allow faces to emerge and dissolve, suggesting fleeting visions or dreamlike states that invite viewers to confront the irrational. The work’s title and prominent facial imagery reflect Redon’s fascination with altered perception and the inner world. Charcoal’s softness enabled him to blur boundaries between figure and void, creating an intimate scale that draws the eye into ambiguous expressions. Acquired by the Metropolitan Museum through the bequest of Scofield Thayer in 1982, this drawing remains a compelling example of how Redon transformed humble materials into portals of psychological depth.

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...