Artwork
The Birth of Venus
The Birth of Venus is an oil painting by the Symbolist artist Odilon Redon. It dates from 1912 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
Created in 1912, The Birth of Venus by Odilon Redon is executed in oil paint on canvas.
Created in 1912, The Birth of Venus by Odilon Redon is executed in oil paint on canvas. The work is characterized by an ethereal and soberly lyrical atmosphere, a quality that aligns it with the large decorative panels Redon produced during the same period, some as early as 1910. Stylistically, the painting depicts the mythological figure Venus Anadyomene in a contrapposto stance, featuring a nude female form with waist-length red hair emerging from the sea.
The composition includes specific iconographic elements such as a seashell, the sky, the shore, and details like the navel and female breast, reflecting the artist's engagement with classical mythology through a distinctively modern, atmospheric lens.
History & Provenance
The Birth of Venus was painted by Odilon Redon in 1912, as indicated by the work’s inception date and its description as an oil on canvas. The painting forms part of a series of decorative panels Redon produced around the same period, reflecting his lyrical, ethereal style of the early 1910s. After its creation, the artwork entered the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, where it remains today.
Odilon Redon's The Birth of Venus, created in 1912, is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The painting, executed in oil on canvas, remains part of the institution's permanent holdings. While specific inventory numbers are not detailed in the provided records, the work is consistently associated with the Museum of Modern Art in New York as its current location.
The piece has been exhibited as part of the museum's collection, reflecting its significance within Redon's oeuvre of mythological subjects. Its presence at the Museum of Modern Art underscores the institution's role in preserving early 20th-century Symbolist works.
Context
Odilon Redon painted The Birth of Venus in 1912, an oil on canvas that exemplifies his mythological focus and ties to Symbolist trends in early 20th‑century French art. The work, part of the Museum of Modern Art's collection in New York, portrays Venus in a contrapposto pose emerging from the sea, reflecting contemporary fascination with classical mythology and the artist's broader exploration of dreamlike subjects. Scholars have noted its lyrical atmosphere and its role within Redon's oeuvre, situating it alongside other decorative panels he produced around the same period.
The painting's reception has been linked to its ethereal quality and its embodiment of Symbolist ideals, influencing later interpretations of mythic themes in modern art.
Overview
The Birth of Venus is a 1912 oil painting by Odilon Redon, a French artist associated with the Symbolist movement. It is part of the Museum of Modern Art's collection.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts the mythological figure of Venus emerging from a seashell, shown in a contemplative pose with one breast exposed. Her serene face and downward gaze convey a sense of introspection.
Artist & collection
Artist
Odilon Redon (born Bertrand Redon; French: ; 20 April 1840 – 6 July 1916) was a French Symbolist draftsman, printmaker, and painter.
