Bernard Dufour on Odilon Redon and Three Other Masters of Black
In a 2011 article for artpress, artist Bernard Dufour discusses four 19th-century figures he refers to as 'broyeurs de noir': Rodolphe Bresdin (1822–1885), Edgar Degas (1834–1917), Odilon Redon (1840–1916), and Georges Seurat (1859–1891). Prompted by the 'Odilon Redon' exhibition at the Grand Palais, Dufour examines their use of black materials. Bresdin employed oily lithographic ink, while Redon worked with lithography and charcoal. Seurat utilized Conté crayon, and Degas favored greasy monotype ink. He emphasizes Redon's 1891 lithograph 'La Lumière du jour' and compares Seurat's Conté drawings to Charles Nègre's 1851 photograph 'Ramoneurs en marche.' Dufour also explores Degas's late monotypes, including one featuring a nude woman in a dark room, speculating on Goya and Rembrandt's reactions to his black photographs.
Key facts
- Text by painter Bernard Dufour published in artpress in 2011.
- Inspired by the exhibition 'Odilon Redon' at the Grand Palais, organized by the Musée d'Orsay.
- Dufour discusses four 'broyeurs de noir': Bresdin, Degas, Redon, Seurat.
- Rodolphe Bresdin (1822–1885) used lithographic ink and copper engraving.
- Odilon Redon (1840–1916) used lithography (taught by Bresdin) and charcoal.
- Redon's work split between colored pastels/oils and black works on paper.
- Redon's 1891 lithograph 'La Lumière du jour' includes hidden skulls.
- Georges Seurat (1859–1891) used Conté crayon on Ingres paper.
- Seurat's 'Casseur de pierres au Raincy' (c. 1880) compared to Charles Nègre's 1851 photograph.
- Edgar Degas (1834–1917) invented monotypes by drawing in greasy black ink on plates.
- Degas's monotype of a dark room with fireplace and three nude women.
- Dufour imagines Goya and Rembrandt examining his own cliché-verre and black photographs.
Entities
Artists
- Bernard Dufour
- Odilon Redon
- Rodolphe Bresdin
- Edgar Degas
- Georges Seurat
- Charles Nègre
- Ambroise Vollard
- Robert de Montesquiou
- Francisco Goya
- Rembrandt van Rijn
Institutions
- Grand Palais
- Musée d'Orsay
- artpress
Locations
- Paris
- France
- Le Raincy
Sources
- artpress —