REDON, Odilon
(b. 1840, Bordeaux, d. 1916, Paris)

Woman Sleeping under a Tree

c. 1901
Tempera on canvas, 27 x 35 cm
The Hermitage, St. Petersburg

Redon started out as a landscapist, and from his youth the tree was a favourite motif. After he arrived at a Symbolist aesthetic, allegorical meanings expressed themselves ever more strongly in his works. In this image, the tree represents the eternity of nature and a living link between earth and heaven. Depending on whether it is depicted green or bare, as here, it also symbolizes the transition from day to night, from awakening to sleep.




© Web Gallery of Art, created by Emil Krén and Daniel Marx.