The Buddha
1904 · Distemper on canvas · Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
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About this work
- Artist
- Odilon Redon (1840–1916)
- Year
- 1904
- Medium
- Distemper on canvas
- Original size
- 159.8 × 121.1 cm
- Collection
- Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
- Movement
- Symbolism
A figure in a saffron robe sits in profile beneath the trunk of a large tree, eyes lowered, almost dissolving into the pale ground. Around him float imaginary flowers and seed heads in blue, coral, yellow and green, scattered across a soft beige field. Redon, who was fascinated by Buddhism, painted this tall panel in 1904 as part of a decorative scheme for the Amsterdam home of the collector Andries Bonger, where it filled a whole wall beside a window. Bonger bought it from the artist in 1905, and it stayed with his family until the Dutch State acquired it for the Van Gogh Museum in 1996.
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
Soft beige, saffron and scattered jewel colours make a calm, meditative picture for a bedroom, yoga room or reading corner. Hang it with Van Gogh's Almond Blossom, also in the Van Gogh Museum, at 24×36 in a dark wood frame.
Style, size & framing detail
- Style
- Symbolism painting
- Era
- 20th century (1904)
- Orientation
- Portrait
- Mood
- grand
- Rooms
- bedroom, study or library, living room, dining room
- Good gift for
- housewarming, art lovers
Size. We'd hang this one at 24×36. Prints at 12×18, 16×24, 24×36 in — 12×18 for a shelf, desk or a gallery-wall grid; 16×24 above a desk, console or in a hallway; 24×36 as the statement piece above a sofa or bed.
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 The Buddha in the public domain?
What is it printed on?
When was The Buddha 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.
