Odilon Redon is an unclassifiable artist. A contemporary of the Impressionists, his oeuvre found its source not in reality but in his own dreams. His work has two sides to it, which appear to be polar opposites: one sombre and anguished, the other colourful and lively, they nevertheless combine to conjure up a kind of Symbolist magic.Odilon Redon (1840-1916) is without doubt one of the artists who was the most ahead of his time. Indifferent to Naturalism and Impressionism, he drew inspiration from his imagination and his dreams. Affected by infantilefears, the first part of his oeuvre is characterised by his Noirs, charcoal works which gave way to his famous monochrome lithographs. At the end of the 19th century, his work changed radically: his fear evolved and the colours burst on the canvas. He painted numerous still lifes and turned towards decorative art. The magic which emanates from his life's work places him within the Symbolist movement yet hails him as the precursor to Surrealism.