"Pandora"_Odilon Redon
Item
-
Description
-
symbolism (artistic concept)
-
Between 1908 and 1914, Redon repeatedly depicted beautiful women from classical mythology, including Pandora, who was fashioned by the god Vulcan and sent to earth by Jupiter. Here, she appears nude, in a state of perfect innocence, and surrounded by flowers, like Eve in the Garden of Eden. According to legend, when Pandora opened the box cradled in her arms, she unleashed all the evils destined to plague humanity, bringing to an end the idyllic Golden Age. Such imagery may have had particular resonance for Redon and his compatriots as World War I approached.
-
Creator
-
Odilon Redon (French, Bordeaux 1840–1916 Paris)
-
Date Created
-
1914.
-
Subject
-
mythology (literary genre), paintings (visual works)
-
Identifier
-
Flower001
-
Rights
-
the artist, Paris (ca. 1914–d. 1916; placed on consignment with Carroll Galleries by 1915); his widow, Camille Redon, Paris (1916–17; remained on consignment with Carroll Galleries); [sold through Carroll Galleries, New York in February 1917, for Fr 4,000 to Quinn]; John Quinn, New York (1917–d. 1924; his estate 1924–26); Alexander Max Bing, New York (by 1928–d. 1959)
-
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
"Pandora"