Odilon Redon is regarded as one of the leading artists to be associated with the Symbolist movement. Symbolism had emerged through French and Belgian literature as an important force behind the conceptual art which began to appear in the late 1870’s. As one of the earliest exponents of this new type of art, Odilon Redon was hailed as an inspiration by Péladan and the members of the society of the Rose+Croix (to whose exhibitions Rops had contributed); however, he never joined their number, preferring instead the study of nature as a catalyst for departures of his imagination. He explored the realms of the unconscious and dreams, as would the Surrealists in the following century, combining realistic images from the everyday world with elements of fantasy to lend a degree of authenticity and logic to his creations. Parallels may be found from Klinger to Mohlitz, but the depth and obscurity of Odilon Redon’s Symbolic vision remains unique. [
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