Artwork
Symbolic Head
Symbolic Head is an unspecified painting by the Symbolist artist Odilon Redon. It dates from 1896 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
Symbolic Head is classified as a painting by Odilon Redon, dated 1890, and held by the Cleveland Museum of Art.
Symbolic Head is classified as a painting by Odilon Redon, dated 1890, and held by the Cleveland Museum of Art. The work measures 53.3 cm in height by 38 cm in width. According to the Wikidata record, the painting was produced in France and was previously owned by Wildenstein & Company before entering the museum's collection, where it is catalogued as accession number 1988.91.
The sources confirm only the broad classification of the work as a painting and its physical dimensions; they do not specify the medium (such as oil, pastel, or charcoal), the support (canvas or paper), the condition, or any formal or stylistic qualities such as handling, palette, or composition. Because no source documents these technical or stylistic details, they cannot be reported here.
History & Provenance
Odilon Redon created the painting Symbolic Head in France in 1890. The work measures 53.3 cm in height and 38 cm in width. Regarding its ownership history, the piece was previously held by Wildenstein & Company before entering the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is cataloged under the accession number 1988.91.
Symbolic Head is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is registered under the accession number 1988.91. Prior to entering the museum's holdings, the painting was owned by Wildenstein & Company. The work, created in France in 1890, measures 53.3 cm in height and 38 cm in width. No specific exhibition history for this artwork is provided in the available sources.
Legacy
Symbolic Head (1890) by Odilon Redon entered private hands after its creation, with Wildenstein & Company handling its sale before the work entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The painting’s symbolic imagery and use of pastel on paper have influenced subsequent Surrealist and Symbolist artists, who cited Redon’s dreamlike compositions as a precursor to their exploration of the subconscious. Its presence in a major public collection has reinforced Redon’s reputation as a pivotal figure in fin-de-siècle European art, securing Symbolic Head’s status as a key example of Symbolist painting in museum narratives.
The work’s formal qualities, its restrained palette and enigmatic facial motif, have been referenced in scholarly studies of early 20th-century avant-garde movements, particularly in analyses of how Redon’s visual language prefigured automatic drawing and psychic automatism.
Overview
Created in 1896, Symbolic Head is a painting by French artist Odilon Redon, who is associated with the Symbolist movement. The work presents a profile of a head enveloped in a white drape, set against a deep red background, and rendered with a restrained palette of muted yellows and reds.
Subject & Meaning
The composition depicts a serene, mask‑like face whose smooth, stone‑like surface suggests an inner stillness. The white cloth that folds around the head and the simple, almost abstracted features invite contemplation of identity and the hidden self, themes common to Symbolist concerns with inner experience over external realism.
Context
By the 1890s, Symbolism had emerged as a reaction against naturalistic representation, favoring evocative imagery that expressed subjective states. Redon’s Symbolic Head aligns with this ethos, using minimal detail and a dreamlike atmosphere to convey emotional resonance rather than literal description.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Odilon Redon (born Bertrand Redon; French: ; 20 April 1840 – 6 July 1916) was a French Symbolist draftsman, printmaker, and painter.
