Portrait of Arthur Fontaine
Odilon Redon
French, 1840–1916
1901
A restrained side‑profile portrait rendered in red conté crayon on paper, in which Redon aims to evoke the sitter’s presence through sparse, poetic line and soft modeling.
What strikes you is the pale, open ground and the barely there warm-red strokes that define the bearded profile and folded hands, leaving much of the figure suggested rather than filled in.
By reducing form to whisper-thin marks and empty space, Redon helped shift portraiture toward a modern, subjective expressiveness that privileges mood and suggestion over strict likeness.
Medium
Colored conté crayon on paper mounted on paper
Dimensions
24 7/8 x 19 3/8" (63.2 x 49.2 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Gift of The Ian Woodner Family Collection
Accession
288.2000
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
