The Buddha
1895
Medium
Lithograph in black on ivory China paper laid down on ivory wove paper
Dimensions
Image/chine: 31.4 × 25 cm (12 3/8 × 9 7/8 in.); Sheet: 44 × 35 cm (17 3/8 × 13 13/16 in.)
Classification
lithograph
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
26811
Art Historical Context
Odilon Redon's *The Buddha* (1895) is a mesmerizing lithograph that captures the French Symbolist's fascination with mysticism and the exotic East. Printed in black ink on delicate ivory China paper laid down on ivory wove paper this work measures 31.4 × 25 cm for the image alone, showcasing Redon's mastery of lithography—a technique he championed for its ability to blend drawing's precision with painterly softness through subtle tonal gradations. As a key figure in Symbolism, Redon moved beyond Realism in the 1890s, exploring dreamlike visions inspired by literature, science, and spirituality...
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...