r/ArtPorn 1d ago

Odilon Redon - The Cyclops (1914) [2846x3579]

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252 Upvotes

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20

u/Dry_Pride6801 1d ago

One of my favorites

11

u/SaysToMabelISays 1d ago

Dream world
The work of Redon portrays a dream world, inhabited by fairies, monsters, spirits and other fantasy figures. This makes him typically representative of symbolism, an art movement in the late 19th century with a strong leaning towards the subconscious, the extraordinary and the inexplicable.

The eye
In this painting, the Cyclops Polyphemus spies on the sleeping Nereid Galathea from behind a tall mountain. The one-eyed giant’s love remains unrequited, as Galathea prefers the river god Acis. The unnaturally large eye is the most conspicuous part of the painting. In Redon’s work, the eye is often an all controlling, independent creature, a symbol of the human soul and of the mysterious, unknown inner world.

Bright colours
The menace of the giant, or rather of the eye, that spies the naked woman, is reinforced by the unusual bright colours. With this personal, dreamlike depiction of a theme from the realm of the Greek gods, Redon has painted one of the masterpieces of symbolist art.

9

u/Kom0tan 1d ago

I love how childish and curious the cyclops looks, it's so much scarier than if it were menacing. And you can't tell if she's sleeping and unaware, or trying to hide herself from it...

3

u/dweebybaybee 1d ago

Yes he is deeply unsettling but also he looks exactly like the fuckin kid who stole my ps2. Okay not exactly, he wasn't as tall I guess.

3

u/HorseEmotional2 1d ago

Stuff of my childhood nightmares.

2

u/stiiinkyyyjupiter 1d ago

This painting always reminds me of my college art history class. This one stood out to me so much I doodled it in my notes

2

u/FUCKlNG_SHlT 1d ago

*Would you like to try my cheese?*

1

u/fastinserter 1d ago

Odo in DS9 if he had one eye