Introduction -- Notes -- Images from the Artist's life 1880-1915 -- Confessions of an artist / Odilon Redon -- Plates and commentaries.
Donated by Liam Murphy.
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Library Journal Review
Redon, famous for the enigmatic images of his lithographs and paintings, also excelled in the art of pastels. Bacou presents us with a handsome collection of those pastels and in an essay discusses how the artist gradually abandoned the dark mystery of charcoal for the richness of color obtainable with pastels. Bacou includes Redon's own comments on his pastels, including his essay ``Confessions of an Artist.'' Redon's essay, Bacou's scholarly commentary, and the 70 color plates combine to enlarge our appreciation for Redon's visual meditations on beauty. Art historians and collectors will appreciate the high quality of this lavish volume. Douglas G. Campbell, Warner Pacific Coll., Portland, Ore. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
CHOICE Review
The works here offered are probably among the most appealing of Redon's entire ouevre. The earlier black-and-white excursions into the bizarre and fantastic for its own sake seem transformed and humanized. His subjects here are indeed mystical and mythological but often center around the human form or the face in profile. Redon's many years of working in black and white and his long intimacy with charcoal and the lithographic crayon rewarded him with techniques that transferred naturally to pastel, color in its purest form. Color makes its appearance in his paintings as it did in his life-a marvelous, magical discovery. The several selected quotes of the biography confirm the eloquent message of the pictures; Redon felt the spectrum as a fulfillment, an arrival. For each picture Bacou explains its history, inspiration, or subject, often noting Redon's intention for its symbolism. The excellent color reproductions are each beautifully presented, with no text appearing on the same page. A good translation of Redon's own autobiographical writing verifies what his works tell us about a great artistic life. For all art libraries.-C. Pascoe, College of Mount Saint Vincent