Origins & Early Life

Odilon Redon (born Bertrand Redon; French: [ɔdilɔ̃ ʁədɔ̃]; 20 April 1840 – 6 July 1916) was a French Symbolist draughtsman, printmaker, and painter. Early in his career, both before and after fighting in the Franco-Prussian War, Redon worked almost exclusively in charcoal and lithography, works known as his noirs. He gained recognition after his drawings were mentioned in the 1884 novel À rebours (Against Nature) by Joris-Karl Huysmans. During the 1890s, Redon began working in pastel and oil, which quickly became his favorite medium, abandoning his previous style of noirs completely after 1900.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He developed a keen interest in Hindu and Buddhist religion and culture, which increasingly showed in his work. Redon is perhaps best known today for the dreamlike paintings created in the first decade of the 20th century, which were inspired by Japanese art and leaned toward abstraction. His work is considered a precursor to Surrealism. Odilon Redon was born, on 20 April 1840, in Bordeaux, Aquitaine, to a prosperous family. Redon's father made his fortune in the slave trade in Louisiana in the 1830s.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Redon was conceived in New Orleans and his parents made the transatlantic journey...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Auguste Rodin — Contemporary (Born in 1840) (1840): Founder of modern sculpture, celebrated for naturalism and emotional depth.
• Caspar David Friedrich — Contemporary (Died in 1840) (1840): Pioneering German Romantic landscape painter known for sublime, spiritual depictions of nature.
• Claude Monet — Contemporary (Born in 1840) (1840): Founder of Impressionism, Monet captured the fleeting perception of light and nature.
• Beverly Cleary — Contemporary (Born in 1916) (1916): Pioneering author of children's literature, celebrated for emotional realism in middle-class narratives.
• Claude Shannon — Contemporary (Born in 1916) (1916): Father of Information Theory, foundational figure in modern computing and engineering.
• Ernst Mach — Contemporary (Died in 1916) (1916): Pioneering physicist and philosopher who shaped modern science and logic.
• 3rd Dalai Lama — Shared historical date (04-20 · Died) (1588): Founding figure of the Dalai Lama lineage, pivotal to Gelug school's rise in Tibet.
• Billy Magnussen — Shared historical date (04-20 · Born) (1985): American actor known for film roles in 'Aladdin' and 'Bridge of Spies'
• 14th Dalai Lama — Shared historical date (07-06 · Born) (1935): Spiritual leader of Tibet and head of Tibetan Buddhism since 1940.
• 50 Cent — Shared historical date (07-06 · Born) (1975): Iconic rapper, actor, and entrepreneur known for raw storytelling and business acumen.
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