Artwork
Five Butterflies
Five Butterflies is a watercolor drawing by Odilon Redon. It dates from 1912 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Five Butterflies is a small work on wove paper executed in watercolor by the French Symbolist Odilon Redon around 1912. The piece presents a delicate arrangement of five lepidopteran figures rendered with the translucent washes characteristic of Redon’s later period, illustrating his continued interest in natural motifs toward the end of his career.
Technique & Style
The artist employed transparent watercolor pigments on a smooth, white paper surface, allowing light to pass through the thin layers and create a luminous effect. The composition relies on subtle gradations of hue and tone rather than bold outlines, emphasizing the fragile, airy quality of the butterflies and reflecting Redon’s shift from his earlier charcoal and pastel works to a softer, more atmospheric approach.
Context
Created in the final decade of Redon’s life, Five Butterflies belongs to a series of botanical and insect studies that he produced after abandoning the more fantastical imagery of his Symbolist phase. This period saw him focusing on the natural world, exploring the interplay of color and form in a restrained, almost scientific manner, while still retaining a poetic sensitivity.
Artist & collection
Artist
Born Bertrand-Jean Redon on 20 April 1840 in Bordeaux, the artist adopted the name Odilon from his mother, Marie-Odile.
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