Odilon Redon was a painter of the nightscapes, meaning
dreams. He would paint things that were fantastic, grotesque, unordered, and
basically creepy. One of his paintings was a spider with a man’s face in the
center of its body. One might question why he desired to paint these things?
They are obviously not objects of beauty, which is what one usually seeks to
imitate. Why was Redon so morbid?
The Enchanted Forest
suggests a dream world where fantastical things are about to happen. The
objects in the painting are vague as if combining and separating from each
other as in dreams. The blurred focus allows for the imagination to create its
own enchantment. It is almost as if this dream is the observers own because
they can construct what they think it represents. What is the picture
portraying? Is it a deathly enchantment of evil and darkness? Or is it a
happier enchanted forest? Is it a dream or a nightmare?
