After the turn of the century, Redon increasingly turned to flower pieces. They were executed in pastel or oil and attracted a unprecedented public and critical attention for his art. Even during his lifetime, they became a hallmark for his art. When working in the more enduring medium of oil, he was striving for a decorative that was as luminous and opaque as his pastels. This flowerpiece, that dates from around 1905, is an example of Redon's striving for a pastel-like effect in oil. It is one of the rare unvarnished pieces and the background with its hues of pink, purple and brown creates a dreamlike atmosphere. The flowers themselves, however, are realistic and can easily be identified: mostly anemones in different hues and states of blossoming.

To be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonné on the artist's work, being prepared by the Wildenstein Institute

See colour illustration