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paste paste paste paste paste paste paste paste paste paste paste paste paste paste paste paste paste paste paste paste pastea painting of a woman with a blue veil on her headpaste paste paste paste paste paste paste paste paste paste paste paste paste paste paste paste paste paste paste paste pastean oil painting of a woman with a veil on her head in a gold framea close up of a wooden frame with a mirror on ita sculpture in the middle of a room with a painting on the wall
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Estimate €150,000 - €250,000
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Description
Odilon REDON Head of a Woman Veiled in Blue – 1890–1895 Pastel and pencil on paper Signed lower left ‘ODILON REDON’ 39.5 x 34.5 cm Provenance: Küther Collection, Naarden, Netherlands Private collection (acquired c. 1920) Auction, London, Christie’s, 31 March 1981, lot 230 Private collection, England (acquired at this auction) Auction, London, Sotheby’s, 3 March 2022, lot 218 Acquired at this auction by the current owner Louis Grandchamp des Raux Collection Exhibitions: London, J.P.L. Fine Arts, Private View: A Selection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist Drawings, Watercolours, Pastels and Paintings, May–July 1984, no. 7, reproduced in colour London, J.P.L. Fine Arts, Private View: A Selection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist Drawings, Watercolours, Pastels and Paintings, Nineteenth and Twentieth Century, November 1988–January 1989, no. 8, reproduced in colour Bibliography: *Apollo*, no. 229, March 1981, reproduced A. Wildenstein, Odilon Redon, Catalogue raisonné of paintings and drawings, Portraits and figures, vol. I, Wildenstein Institute, La Bibliothèque des arts, Paris, 1992, no. 421, reproduced in black and white on p. 168 Pastel and pencil on paper; signed lower left; 15 1/2 x 13 5/8 in. Born in the shadow of the ‘Noirs’ and gradually illuminated by colour, Odilon Redon’s work explores a profoundly original dreamlike world. At the dawn of the 1890s, Redon made a gradual transition to colour, turning away from the mysteries of shadow to embrace vivid hues. This ten-year transitional period culminated in his definitive abandonment of black in 1900 (fig. 1). His subjects also evolved: he turned to mythology, flowers and portraits, whilst exploring new techniques – pastel, watercolour and oil – which lent his work greater warmth. His vibrant hues and supernatural colour schemes enabled him to better convey the fleeting essence of dreams. Redon delighted in this new approach: ‘By constantly objectifying myself, I have since realised, with my eyes more fully open to all things, that the life we lead can also reveal joy. If an artist’s work is the song of his life, a sombre or sad melody, I have sought to strike a cheerful note through colour. ’ This *Head of a Woman Veiled in Blue* is a striking example of Redon’s new explorations. With her face slightly tilted, the young woman looks at the viewer, as if overcome by sadness or melancholy. Her face, tinged with browns shaded with blacks—which still recall the technique of charcoal—along with her clothing and her purplish-blue veil, contrast with the abstract background composed of more shimmering greens and oranges. A master of the pastel, Redon uses this medium to create a rich and vibrant texture, where the material blends with the light to bring his dreamlike visions to life (fig. 2). The young woman’s veil, in a Marian hue, and her sorrowful expression evoke the Mother of Christ at the foot of the cross. This pastel can be compared to another work featuring the same model in a similar pose. Titled *La Souffrance* (fig. 3) in the catalogue raisonné, the figure is this time depicted in a bust view, with one hand visible and a more intense, pained expression, which is not directed towards the viewer. In the black-and-white reproduction, a halo can be discerned, reinforcing the interpretation of a Marian figure, overcome with grief at the death of her son. The exploration of the mystical and the intimate constitutes a distinctive and defining element of Redon’s art. His ability to evoke mystery and the spiritual was enriched in the late 1880s through his association with Paul Gauguin, whom he met in 1886. Despite their differences, this encounter opened up new horizons for Redon, notably the expressive use of colour and the aesthetics of Japonism. His influence shaped the Nabis, then the Fauves, right up to Matisse, who shared his fascination with colour. Fig. 1: Odilon Redon, Christ, 1878–1880, charcoal and black chalk on paper, Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium Fig. 2: Odilon Redon, Standing Veiled Woman, 1840–1916, pastel and black pencil on beige paper, Paris, Musée d’Orsay Fig. 3: Odilon Redon, Suffering, pastel on paper Odilon REDON 39.5 x 34.5 cm Born in the shadow of the ‘Noirs’ and gradually illuminated by colour, Odilon Redon’s work explores a profoundly original, dreamlike world. At the dawn of the 1890s, Redon began a gradual shift towards colour, leaving behind the mysteries of the shadows in favour of bright hues. This ten-year period of transition culminated in his definitive abandonment of black in 1900 (ill. 1). His subjects also evolved: he turned to mythology, flowers and portraits, whilst exploring new techniques – pastel, watercolour and oils – which brought greater warmth to his work. These vibrant tones and otherworldly colours enabled him to better convey the fleeting nature of his dreams. Redon was delighted with this new approach: “By constantly viewing things objectively, I have since come to realise, with my eyes more fully open to all things, that the life we lead can also reveal joy. If an artist’s art is the song of their life, a sombre or sad melody, I have sought to strike a happy note through colour.” This *Tête de Femme Voilée en Bleu* is a striking example of these new experiments. With her head slightly tilted, the young woman looks out at the viewer, seemingly filled with sadness or melancholy. Her face, rendered in shades of brown with black highlights – still reminiscent of the charcoal technique – her clothing and her purplish-blue veil, contrast with the abstract background composed of shimmering greens and oranges. A master of pastel, Redon uses this medium to create a rich and vibrant texture, where the pigment blends with the light to bring his dreamlike visions to life (ill. 2). The young woman’s veil, in the colour associated with the Virgin, and her sorrowful expression evoke the image of Mary at the foot of the cross. This pastel can be compared to another work depicting the same model in a similar pose. Titled *La Souffrance* (ill. 3) in the catalogue raisonné, the figure is this time shown from the waist up, with one hand visible and a more intense expression of pain, though one that is not directed towards the viewer. In the black-and-white illustration, a halo can be discerned, reinforcing the interpretation that this is a Madonna-like figure, overcome with grief at the death of her son. The exploration of the mystical and the intimate are distinctive and defining elements in Redon’s art. His ability to evoke mystery and the spiritual deepened in the late 1880s thanks to his relationship with Paul Gauguin, whom he met in 1886. Despite their differences, this encounter opened up new horizons for Redon, notably the use of colour as an expressive force and the aesthetic of Japonism. His influence shaped the Nabis, then the Fauves, and continued to Matisse, who shared the same fascination with colour.
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About the sale The Louis Grandchamp des Raux Collection
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Auction time 10/24/2026 at 4:00 PM
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