Orpheus (Redon)
c. 1903–1910 · Pastel on brown paper · Cleveland Museum of Art
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About this work
- Artist
- Odilon Redon (1840–1916)
- Year
- c. 1903–1910
- Medium
- Pastel on brown paper
- Original size
- 68.8 × 56.8 cm
- Collection
- Cleveland Museum of Art
- Movement
- Symbolism
The head of Orpheus lies with closed eyes on his lyre, its face pale gold, in a hollow of dark red and violet foliage beneath a lilac sky. A rocky peak rises behind at upper right, dotted with small yellow flowers, and the lyre catches a band of blue light. Redon drew it in pastel on brown paper between about 1903 and 1910, one of several times he took up the myth of the poet whose music outlived him; the Cleveland Museum of Art identifies the peak as Mount Parnassus. Henri Matisse bought the pastel for his father, and it later belonged to the collector John Quinn.
This print reproduces the whole work, uncropped, from a high-resolution scan of the original. The original is in the public domain.
Where it works
Lilac, plum and dull gold make a dreamy, sombre picture for a study, music room or reading corner. Hang it with Böcklin's Isle of the Dead at 16×24 in a black frame.
Style, size & framing detail
- Style
- Symbolism painting
- Era
- 20th century (c. 1903–1910)
- Orientation
- Portrait
- Mood
- grand
- Rooms
- study or library, living room, dining room
- Good gift for
- housewarming, art lovers
Size. We'd hang this one at 16×24. Prints at 12×18, 16×24 in — 12×18 for a shelf, desk or a gallery-wall grid; 16×24 above a desk, console or in a hallway.
Framing. The gallery ground is part of the print, so frame it without a mat — black suits the deep tones of this period; dark wood warms it.
Pairing. Pairs as a set of three with other famous painting prints (10% off three or more).
Details & materials
Shipping & returns
Is this the whole painting, or a crop?
Is Orpheus in the public domain?
What is it printed on?
When was Orpheus painted, and in what medium?
What size works above a sofa or bed?
About this design
The Madten promise
An exhibition poster
The same artwork as a gallery exhibition poster — title, artist & date typeset beneath the image on a soft ground.
