Paper

Student Artwork Guide

Ophelia

Name Class Date

Bertrand Redon, Ophelia (1901). Public domain. See this canvas under a moving light: the drawing, the true colour under the varnish, the bare pigment

The facts

Artist
Bertrand Redon topimpressionists.com/en/artists/bertrand-redon/
Artist’s dates
1840 – 1916
Painted
1901
Original size
57 x 48 cm

In context

Ophelia — Bertrand Redon

How big is it?

The original measures 57 × 48 cm (height × width), drawn here beside an adult of average height.

When was this painted?

  1. 1840
  2. 1850
  3. 1860
  4. 1870
  5. 1880
  6. 1890
  7. 1900
  8. 1910

Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span — 0 at birth, 76 at death.

Painted when the artist was 61. The artist lived to 76. 4 of the 9 dated works by this artist in our catalogue came earlier.

Shaded: the lifetime of Bertrand Redon (1840–1916) ▲ this work, 1901 every dated painting, decade by decade

First works: up to 1893 Main working years: 1893–1904 Late works: from 1904

Those three bands split the works this catalogue has a date for into a first quarter, a middle half and a last quarter. They are not the artist’s complete output: a thin stretch may be a gap in the record rather than a quiet spell. The same years with the artist’s life laid along them

Compare with

Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.

More works to set beside this one: topimpressionists.com/en/art/similar/bertrand-redon-ophelia-D5D9PB-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

    Main colour

    Quinacridone Magenta #7d6756

    Catalogued palette

    • #7D6756
    • #211917
    • #36332A
    • #534D42

    These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour

    Palette
    Earthy The dominant colour family in the image.
    Main colour name
    Quinacridone Magenta
    Intensity
    Monochromatic How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
    Contrast
    Serene How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
    Harmony
    Discordant Palette How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
    Brightness
    Deep_shadow How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
    Saturation
    Muted How pure and strong the colours are, from near-grey to fully vivid.

    Where in the world is this painting looked at?

    • under 1%
    • 1–3%
    • 3–8%
    • 8–20%
    • 20% and over
    This painting alone has too few recorded visitors to map, so the plate reads every work by Bertrand Redon over the last twelve months — 3 countries in all. Where these figures come from

    The ten leading countries

    1. 1 China 33.3%100 visits
    2. 2 Japan 33.3%100 visits
    3. 3 United States of America 33.3%100 visits

    Find the three darkest countries on the map. Is the museum that keeps this painting in any of them? Write down one reason people far away might look at it.

    The 6 most looked-at works by Bertrand Redon

    1. 1 Screen for Olivier Sainsère, 1903 33.3%200 visits
    2. 2 Flowers in a Blue Vase, 1904 16.7%100 visits
    3. 3 Twisted Tree 16.7%100 visits
    4. 4 Concern for the Absolute… Philosopher, 1880 16.7%100 visits
    5. 5 A Rose-colored Rock, 1880 16.7%100 visits
    6. — Ophelia, 1901 this painting 0.0%0 visits

    Together these works take 100.0% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 11 works by this artist, of which 5 were looked at at least once. This painting has not been looked at yet in that time — it closes the list without a rank. The same counts, month by month

    Bars measure attention, not quality. Pick the work at the top and this one: name one thing that might make a painting famous beyond how well it is painted.

    Artist and museum

    Artist

    Bertrand Redon

    Born in Bordeaux, France

    early life and career

    bertrand redon, a french symbolist artist, was born in 1840 in bordeaux, france. he worked primarily in charcoal and lithography early in his career, producing works known as his noirs. redon gained recognition after his drawings were mentioned in the 1884 novel à rebours (against nature) by joris-karl huysmans.

    artistic style and influences

    during the 1890s, redon began working in pastel and oil, which became his preferred medium. he developed a keen interest in hindu and buddhist religion and culture, which increasingly showed in his work. redon is best known for the dreamlike paintings created in the first decade of the 20th century, which were inspired by japanese art and leaned toward abstraction.

    notable works

    some of redon's notable works include:

    twisted tree (charcoal, 32 x 30 cm), a characteristic example of his early work.

    concern for the absolute… philosopher (charcoal, 43 x 35 cm), showcasing his unique blend of philosophy and art.

    the grief (charcoal, 51 x 37 cm), a poignant representation of his ability to evoke emotions through his work.

    museums and collections

    redon's works can be found in various museums, including the musée d'art moderne (france), which houses an impressive collection of modern and contemporary art. the musée gustave moreau in paris also features redon's work, showcasing his contribution to french symbolism.

    legacy

    bertrand redon's work is considered a precursor to surrealism, and his influence can be seen in many subsequent art movements. his unique style, blending the boundaries of philosophy, culture, and art, has cemented his place as a pioneer of french symbolism.

    view more of bertrand redon's works on AllPaintingsStore.

    explore the musée d'art moderne (france) collection on AllPaintingsStore.

    discover more about french symbolism and its influential artists on wikipedia.

    experience the world of bertrand redon's art through AllPaintingsStore's museum-quality reproductions.

    Where to read more

    • The artist Bertrand Redon topimpressionists.com/en/artists/bertrand-redon/
    • Similar works More works to compare topimpressionists.com/en/art/similar/bertrand-redon-ophelia-D5D9PB-en/

    Find this online

    QR code linking to the download page for Ophelia

    topimpressionists.com/en/art/download/bertrand-redon-ophelia-D5D9PB-en/

    Cite this artwork

    MLA
    Redon, Bertrand. Ophelia. 1901, https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/bertrand-redon-ophelia-D5D9PB-en/
    APA
    Redon, Bertrand (1901). Ophelia [Painting]. https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/bertrand-redon-ophelia-D5D9PB-en/
    Chicago
    Bertrand Redon. Ophelia. 1901. https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/bertrand-redon-ophelia-D5D9PB-en/
    Harvard
    Redon, Bertrand (1901) Ophelia. Available at: https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/bertrand-redon-ophelia-D5D9PB-en/

    Look closely

    Ophelia — Bertrand Redon

    Look closely

    Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.

    1. What catches your eye first, and why?
    2. Which colours or shapes create the mood — and what is that mood?
    3. Look back at Rider on the Beach with Two Ships (1908), earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.
    4. Bertrand Redon was about 61 when this was made. What in it looks like the work of an artist at that stage?
    5. What might the artist have wanted you to feel?

    Your response

    Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.

    Questions & Answers

    Where do the visitors of "Ophelia" by Bertrand Redon come from?

    Statistics about "Ophelia" by Bertrand Redon are on the artwork's Stats page: monthly visits of the artwork, visits of the artist's works, and country and language breakdowns of recent visitors.

    Is a high-resolution download of "Ophelia" available?

    A digital image of "Ophelia" by Bertrand Redon can be purchased on its Digital Image page: a high-resolution digital image download.

    At what age did Bertrand Redon make "Ophelia"?

    When "Ophelia" was created in 1901, Bertrand Redon - born in 1840 - was 61 years old.