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Odilon
was born on April 20, 1840, in Bordeaux. His
mature production began around 1875 when Redon
entered the shadowy world of charcoal and the
lithographer's stone. This period yielded sequences
such as [Guardian Spirit of the Waters (1878)]
and [Cactus Man (1881)]. Redon made it clear
that they had been inspired by his dreams, and
they inspire in the spectator a conviction like
that of dreams. It was only in the 1890s that
he began to use the luminous, musical tones
of pastel and oils.
These became the dominant media of the last
fifteen years of his life. Redon's art was always
commanded by his dreams, but the thematic content
of his work over his last twenty years is more
densely mythical, brimming with newfound hope
and light which rose quite unexpectedly out
of the depths of the artist's personality. This
is particularly apparent in the various canvasses
depicting the chariot of Apollo, the god of
the sun.
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