Odilon Redon (1840-1916): Between Shadow and Light Odilon Redon, born Bertrand Jean Redon in Bordeaux, France, on April 20, 1840, was an artist whose profound engagement with the unseen realms of imagination solidified his place as a pivotal figure in Symbolism—a movement that anticipated the Surrealist explorations of the subconscious decades later. His artistic journey began not with grand ambition but with quiet observation; at just ten years old he won a drawing prize—a foreshadowing of the visual sensitivity that would permeate his entire life’s work. Though familial expectations initia…