Artwork
Two Young Girls among Flowers
Two Young Girls among Flowers is an oil painting by the Symbolist artist Odilon Redon. It dates from 1912 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
About this work
Overview
This work emerged late in his career, following his transition from monochromatic *noirs* to vibrant color-based compositions in the 1890s.
Odilon Redon painted *Two Young Girls among Flowers* in 1912 using oil on canvas. This work emerged late in his career, following his transition from monochromatic *noirs* to vibrant color-based compositions in the 1890s. By this period, Redon had fully embraced luminous palettes and soft forms, moving away from the eerie atmospheres of his earlier prints. The painting reflects his mature style, where emotion is conveyed through color and atmosphere rather than narrative detail.
Subject & Meaning
Two girls in white dresses, their features softened and indistinct, stand amid a dense proliferation of flowers. Their faces merge with the surrounding foliage, suggesting an integration between human presence and nature. The absence of clear identity or expression invites contemplation rather than storytelling. The work evokes a quiet, meditative state, aligning with Symbolist ideals that favored inner experience over literal representation.
Technique & Style
Redon employed layered oil paint to build texture and luminosity, particularly in the floral elements, where reds, pinks, and yellows bloom with subtle gradations. The girls’ forms are rendered with loose brushwork, dissolving into the background, while the soft blue backdrop enhances the sense of spatial depth. Color, not line or detail, defines form and mood, reflecting Redon’s shift toward Impressionist-influenced techniques while retaining Symbolist ambiguity.
History & Provenance
Created in the final decade of Redon’s life, the painting remained in private hands until entering the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Its acquisition reflects growing institutional interest in Symbolist works during the early 20th century. The painting’s provenance is not extensively documented, but its survival in good condition allows for continued study of Redon’s late-period color experiments and evolving aesthetic.
Context
In the early 20th century, Symbolism was waning as modern movements like Fauvism and Expressionism gained prominence. Redon’s work, however, retained its focus on inner vision and poetic suggestion. *Two Young Girls among Flowers* exemplifies how Symbolist ideals persisted in quieter, more personal forms, even as the art world shifted toward abstraction and radical innovation. Redon’s late paintings bridged 19th-century mysticism and early modern sensibilities.
Legacy
Though less widely known than his *noirs*, Redon’s later color works influenced later generations interested in emotional resonance through hue and atmosphere. *Two Young Girls among Flowers* stands as a quiet testament to his ability to transform nature into a vessel for introspection. Its presence in a major American museum underscores its role in expanding recognition of Symbolist painting beyond its French origins.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Born Bertrand-Jean Redon on 20 April 1840 in Bordeaux, the artist adopted the name Odilon from his mother, Marie-Odile.
