Odilon Redon
Peonies
1899-1904
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Odilon Redon
Peonies
1899-1904
Physical Qualities
Oil on canvas, Unframed: 19 1/16 × 17 3/4 in. (48.4 × 45.1 cm.)
Framed: 26 × 23 3/4 × 2 15/16 in. (66 × 60.3 × 7.5 cm.)
Credit Line
The Cone Collection, formed by Dr. Claribel Cone and Miss Etta Cone of Baltimore, Maryland
Object Number
1950.281
Prior to the 1890s, Redon worked mainly in black and white, producing both lithographs and a large number of charcoal drawings called Noirs, which evoke a subjective realm of mystery and melancholy. His imagery appealed in particular to such symbolist writers as Stéphane Mallarmé and Joris-Karl Huysmans.
Around 1890, Redon’s art underwent a major change with the introduction of pure, opulent color. Although he continued to present images drawn from his complex, inner thoughts, he also explored new subject matter, notably flowers. Here, the artist has painted red peonies and other small, brightly colored flowers arranged in a vase. There is only the suggestion of a tabletop, and the still life seems suspended within its own intimate space.
The Baltimore Museum of Art by bequest, 1949; Etta Cone, Baltimore, by bequest, 1929; Claribel Cone, Baltimore, by purchase, September 3, 1927; Paul Vallotton, Lausanne; Galerie Bernheim-Jeune, Paris, by purchase, 1907
Adelyn D. Breeskin, The Baltimore Museum of Art, "Cone Collection of Modern Paintings and Sculpture", April 1, 1930-December 1, 1930, no. 47. (Exhibited as "Vase with Flowers")
Gertrude Rosenthal, The Baltimore Museum of Art, "Selections from the Cone Collection", October 7, 1949-December 31, 1949, no. 81. (Exhibited as "Vase with Flowers")
Gertrude Rosenthal, The Baltimore Museum of Art, "From Ingres to Gauguin: French Nineteenth Century Paintings Owned in Maryland", November-December 1951, no. 152. (Exhibited as "Vase with Flowers")
The Baltimore Museum of Art, "The Cone Collection", circulated to The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, October 19, 1953-November 23, 1953, no. 81. (Exhibited as "Vase with Flowers")
The Baltimore Museum of Art, "The Cone Collection", circulated to M. Knoedler & Company, New York, January 24, 1955-February 19, 1955. (Exhibited as "Vase with Flowers")
Henri Dorra, The Society of the Four Arts, Palm Beach, Florida, "Redon", March 18-April 3, 1955.
Gertrude Rosenthal, The Baltimore Museum of Art, "Fruit and Flowers", March 7, 1961-April 4, 1961, no. 29. (Exhibited as "Vase with Flowers")
Gertrude Rosenthal, The Baltimore Museum of Art, "1914: An Exhibition of Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture in Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Baltimore Museum of Art", October 6, 1964-November 15, 1964, no. 200. (Exhibited as "Vase with Flowers")
Acquavella Galleries, New York, "Odilon Redon", October 22, 1970-November 21, 1970. (Exhibited as "Vase with Peonies")
Jane Harrison Cone, The Baltimore Museum of Art, "Cone Collection from The Baltimore Museum of Art", circulated to Wildenstein and Company, New York, March 29, 1974-May 4, 1974, no. 44. (Exhibited as "Vase with Flowers")
The Baltimore Museum of Art, "Masterpieces from the Cone Collection of the Baltimore Museum of Art", circulated to The Los Angeles County Museum of Art,October 6, 1985-November 24, 1985; circulated to the Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, December 14, 1985-February 9, 1986.
The Baltimore Museum of Art and The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore, The Baltimore Museum of Art, "The Triumph of French Painting: Masterpieces from Ingres to Matisse", March 12, 2000-July 16, 2000, no. 49; circulated to The Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, August 13, 2000-November 26, 2000; The Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach, January 8, 2001-March 11, 2001; Royal Academy of Arts, London, July 12, 2001-October 7, 2001; Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, November 3, 2001-January 6, 2002.
The Baltimore Museum of Art and the Wadsworth Atheneum, The Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, "Impressionism to Surrealism from the Baltimore Museum of Art", February 8, 2002-April 21, 2002, no. 42.
Katherine Rothkopf, The Baltimore Museum of Art, "Matisse Picasso and the School of Paris: Masterpieces from The Baltimore Museum of Art featuring Selections from the Collection of Etta and Claribel Cone", circulated to North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh October 10, 2004-January 16, 2005; The Naples Museum of Art, Naples, Florida (as "Matisse, Picasso and Friends: Impressionism to Surrealism, Masterworks of Painting and Sculpture from The Baltimore Museum of Art)," February 5, 2005-May 1, 2005; The Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Nashville (as "Matisse, Picasso, and the School of Paris: Masterpieces from The Baltimore Museum of Art"), March 2, 2007-June 3, 2007.
Gertrude Rosenthal, The Baltimore Museum of Art, "Selections from the Cone Collection", October 7, 1949-December 31, 1949, no. 81. (Exhibited as "Vase with Flowers")
Gertrude Rosenthal, The Baltimore Museum of Art, "From Ingres to Gauguin: French Nineteenth Century Paintings Owned in Maryland", November-December 1951, no. 152. (Exhibited as "Vase with Flowers")
The Baltimore Museum of Art, "The Cone Collection", circulated to The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, October 19, 1953-November 23, 1953, no. 81. (Exhibited as "Vase with Flowers")
The Baltimore Museum of Art, "The Cone Collection", circulated to M. Knoedler & Company, New York, January 24, 1955-February 19, 1955. (Exhibited as "Vase with Flowers")
Henri Dorra, The Society of the Four Arts, Palm Beach, Florida, "Redon", March 18-April 3, 1955.
Gertrude Rosenthal, The Baltimore Museum of Art, "Fruit and Flowers", March 7, 1961-April 4, 1961, no. 29. (Exhibited as "Vase with Flowers")
Gertrude Rosenthal, The Baltimore Museum of Art, "1914: An Exhibition of Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture in Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Baltimore Museum of Art", October 6, 1964-November 15, 1964, no. 200. (Exhibited as "Vase with Flowers")
Acquavella Galleries, New York, "Odilon Redon", October 22, 1970-November 21, 1970. (Exhibited as "Vase with Peonies")
Jane Harrison Cone, The Baltimore Museum of Art, "Cone Collection from The Baltimore Museum of Art", circulated to Wildenstein and Company, New York, March 29, 1974-May 4, 1974, no. 44. (Exhibited as "Vase with Flowers")
The Baltimore Museum of Art, "Masterpieces from the Cone Collection of the Baltimore Museum of Art", circulated to The Los Angeles County Museum of Art,October 6, 1985-November 24, 1985; circulated to the Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, December 14, 1985-February 9, 1986.
The Baltimore Museum of Art and The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore, The Baltimore Museum of Art, "The Triumph of French Painting: Masterpieces from Ingres to Matisse", March 12, 2000-July 16, 2000, no. 49; circulated to The Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, August 13, 2000-November 26, 2000; The Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach, January 8, 2001-March 11, 2001; Royal Academy of Arts, London, July 12, 2001-October 7, 2001; Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, November 3, 2001-January 6, 2002.
The Baltimore Museum of Art and the Wadsworth Atheneum, The Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, "Impressionism to Surrealism from the Baltimore Museum of Art", February 8, 2002-April 21, 2002, no. 42.
Katherine Rothkopf, The Baltimore Museum of Art, "Matisse Picasso and the School of Paris: Masterpieces from The Baltimore Museum of Art featuring Selections from the Collection of Etta and Claribel Cone", circulated to North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh October 10, 2004-January 16, 2005; The Naples Museum of Art, Naples, Florida (as "Matisse, Picasso and Friends: Impressionism to Surrealism, Masterworks of Painting and Sculpture from The Baltimore Museum of Art)," February 5, 2005-May 1, 2005; The Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Nashville (as "Matisse, Picasso, and the School of Paris: Masterpieces from The Baltimore Museum of Art"), March 2, 2007-June 3, 2007.
The Baltimore Museum of Art, "Cone Collection of Modern Paintings and Sculpture," Baltimore: The Baltimore Museum of Art, 1930, p. 6, no. 47. (Published as "Vase with Flowers")
Etta Cone, "The Cone Collection of Baltimore-Maryland," Baltimore: Etta Cone, 1934, p. 26, pl. 21, ill. (Published as "Fleurs")
George Boas, Adelyn D. Breeskin and J.G. D'Arcy Paul, "Selections from the Cone Collection," "News of the Baltimore Museum of Art," October 1949, vol. 13, no. 81, p. 21. (Published as "Vase with Flowers")
The Baltimore Museum of Art, "From Ingres to Gauguin: French Nineteenth Century Paintings Owned in Maryland," Baltimore: The Baltimore Museum of Art, 1951, no. 152, pp. 13, 42. (Published as "Vase with Flowers")
George Boas, Adelyn Breeskin, and Gertrude Rosenthal, "Cone Collection: A Handbook with a Catalogue of Paintings and Sculpture," Baltimore: The Baltimore Museum of Art, 1955, p. 39, no. 100, ill. (Published as "Vase with Flowers")
Gertrude Rosenthal, "200 Objects in the Baltimore Museum of Art: A Picture Book," Baltimore: The Baltimore Museum of Art, 1955, p. 59, ill. (Published as "Vase with Flowers")
Gertrude Rosenthal, "Fruit and Flowers," Baltimore: The Baltimore Museum of Art, 1961, p. 27, no. 29. (Published as "Vase with Flowers")
George Boas, Lincoln Johnson, Jr., Henri Peyre, and Gertrude Rosenthal, "1914: An Exhibition of Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture in Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Baltimore Museum of Art," Baltimore: The Baltimore Museum of Art, 1964, p. 93, no. 200. (Published as "Vase with Flowers")
Klaus Berger, "Odilon Redon: Fantasy and Colour," New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1965, p. 200, no. 255. (Published as "Vase with Peonies")
George Boas, Adelyn Breeskin, and Gertrude Rosenthal, "Paintings, Sculpture and Drawings in the Cone Collection," Baltimore: The Baltimore Museum of Art, 1967, p. 68, no. 95. (Published as "Vase with Flowers")
The Baltimore Museum of Art, "Cone Collection from the Baltimore Museum of Art: A Benefit Exhibition at Wildenstein," Baltimore: The Baltimore Museum of Art, 1974, no. 44. (Published as "Vase with Flowers")
Brenda Richardson, "Dr. Claribel & Miss Etta: The Cone Collection of the Baltimore Museum of Art," Baltimore: The Baltimore Museum of Art, 1985, pp. 119, 142, 176, 202, p. 142, ill.
Sona K. Johnston and William R. Johnston, "The Triumph of French Painting: Masterpieces from Ingres to Matisse," London: Scala Publishers, 2000, pp. 136-137, 156, no. 49, ill.
Eric M. Zafran, Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, "Impressionism to Surrealism from the Baltimore Museum of Art," Hartford: Wadsworth Atheneum, 2002, pp. 20, 22, p. 22, ill.
Inscribed: Recto: There are no visible inscriptions on the recto Verso: Top center canvas, stamped, "10" Top center canvas, illegible stamp Lower right canvas, stamped, TABLEAUX MODERNE/PAUL VALLOTTON/7, rue ________/LAUSANNE (SUISSE)" Center of the bottom stretcher in graphite, "M Redon" Frame Inscriptions Top center in graphite, "PE"
