plate no. 6036

White Vase with Flowers

Odilon Redon, 1916

pastel, paperRealismflower paintingflowersvasebouquetstill lifetablebackground

recreation guide

Odilon Redon’s *White Vase with Flowers* (1916) represents the culmination of his late-career shift toward pastel, a medium he adopted in the 1890s and favored over his earlier charcoal 'noirs' (Source 5). While the artwork is categorized under Realism and flower painting, Redon’s approach was distinctively Symbolist; he sought to place 'the logic of the visible at the service of the invisible,' using botanical subjects to explore internal feelings and imagination rather than strict botanical accuracy (Source 6). His flower pastels are noted for their 'bright colors' and 'lyrical chromatics,' which release the subject from stylized naturalism (Source 7). The work likely exhibits the soft, atmospheric blending characteristic of pastel, where pigments are applied in a powdered state to a textured support, allowing for both opacity and subtle transparency through layering (Source 2).

estimated time

20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions

materials

5 items

steps

6 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Soft pastels (high-quality, professional grade)	Primary medium for applying color in powdered form.	—
Toothed paper or cardboard	Support with a rough natural surface or pumice stone layer to mechanically hold the dry pigment.	Sanded pastel paper (e.g., Ingres or Canson Mi-Teintes)
Fixative (spray)	To stabilize the powdered pigment between layers, as crayons are held by mechanical means and are prone to smudging.	Workable fixative spray
Kneaded eraser or lifting tool	To remove pigment for highlights, adapting watercolor 'lifting' techniques to pastel.	—
Blending stump or tortillon	To soften edges and create atmospheric effects, mimicking the 'wet-on-wet' softness described in fluid media.	—

preparation

surface prep

The support must have a rough natural surface or be prepared with a layer of pumice stone to mechanically hold the powdered pigment, as pastels contain little to no medium and rely on friction rather than adhesion (Source 2). The paper should be dry and free from dampness to prevent sizing decomposition, which can cause stains (Source 4).

underdrawing

Redon’s process involved letting 'imagination' run through the recollection of forms, suggesting a loose, evocative underdrawing rather than rigid botanical precision (Source 6). He likely used light pastel strokes or charcoal to establish the 'line-scheme' of the composition, focusing on the arrangement of lines and spaces rather than 'botanical correctness' (Source 8).

underpainting

Not applicable in the traditional oil sense. However, Redon likely established background tones using flat or graded washes of pastel color to set the atmospheric mood, similar to how watercolorists use washes for backgrounds (Source 3).

color palette

Bright Chromatics

High-saturation pastels (reds, oranges, yellows)

Flower petals and focal points, consistent with Redon’s use of 'bright colors' in flower pastels (Source 7).

Neutral Grays/Blacks

Dark pastels mixed with complements

Shadows and depth, avoiding pure black to prevent hue shifts toward green/blue (Source 1).

White

Pure white pastel

The vase and highlights, used to lighten colors while correcting hue shifts with adjacent colors (Source 1).

composition

The composition likely emphasizes the 'cutting' of space by main lines, creating an irregular pattern of lines and spaces rather than a literal depiction (Source 8). Redon’s style leans toward abstraction and dreamlike qualities, so the arrangement of flowers may feel 'released from stylized naturalism' (Source 7). The focus is on the relationship between areas and lines to form a 'beautiful whole' (Source 8).

step by step

underdrawing→first pass→refining→finishing

underdrawing

step 01
Lightly sketch the main lines of the vase and flowers using a soft pastel or charcoal, focusing on the arrangement of forms rather than detail.
Tip — Avoid confusing detail; give character simply (Source 8).
Line composition

first pass

step 02
Apply broad, flat washes of color to the background and large areas of the flowers using the side of the pastel stick.
Tip — Establish the atmospheric base, similar to watercolor washes (Source 3).
Flat wash

refining

step 03
Layer transparent or semi-transparent pastel strokes over dried layers to build depth and modify hues.
Tip — Underlying layers remain visible, contributing to the final color effect (Source 3).
Layering/Glazing
step 04
Darken colors by adding complementary colors rather than black to avoid hue shifts (e.g., add purplish-red to yellowish-green).
Tip — Adding black can shift yellows/oranges toward green/blue (Source 1).
Complementary darkening

finishing

step 05
Use a blending stump to soften edges for atmospheric effects, or a dry brush/eraser to lift pigment for highlights.
Tip — Lifting removes pigment to create highlights, adapting watercolor techniques (Source 3).
Blending/Lifting
step 06
Apply a light fixative to stabilize the powder before adding final opaque highlights.
Tip — Crayons are held by mechanical means and require stabilization (Source 2).
Fixing

critical techniques

Complementary Color Mixing

Used to darken colors without shifting hue, a critical practice for representational painting to avoid unwanted greenish/bluish shifts in warm colors (Source 1).

Layering for Transparency

Applying layers of pastel to build depth, leveraging the fact that underlying layers remain visible, similar to watercolor glazing (Source 3).

Mechanical Adhesion

Relying on the tooth of the paper to hold the powdered pigment, as pastels contain minimal medium (Source 2).

common pitfalls

→Adding black to darken warm colors (yellows, oranges, reds), which causes undesirable hue shifts toward green or blue (Source 1).
→Using paper that has suffered from dampness, which can cause sizing to ferment and decompose, leading to stains (Source 4).
→Over-blending, which can destroy the 'tooth' of the paper and reduce the ability to hold subsequent layers of pigment (Source 2).
→Focusing on botanical correctness rather than the 'line-scheme' and atmospheric composition, which contradicts Redon’s symbolic approach (Source 6, Source 8).

what the sources don't tell us

Where the corpus is silent, we say so rather than guess. These are the gaps a complete recreation guide would normally cover that our source passages don't.

·Specific color palette for *White Vase with Flowers* is not detailed in the sources; general 'bright colors' are mentioned (Source 7).
·Exact compositional layout of this specific painting is not described; general compositional principles for Redon’s flower studies are inferred (Source 8).
·Specific underdrawing materials (charcoal vs. pastel) for this 1916 work are not explicitly stated, though charcoal was used earlier in his career (Source 5).
·The exact type of paper used for this specific artwork is not identified, though general pastel paper requirements are known (Source 2).

grounded in

The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.

The Science of Painting↗
- CHAPTER XII. CRAYONS... — applied to Pastel mechanics, paper preparation, and mechanical adhesion.
Composition — FLOWER COMPOSITIONS↗
- TWO VALUES — applied to Compositional focus on line and space over botanical accuracy.

cross-referenced from

Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.

Wikipedia: Color theory↗
- part 6 — applied to Color mixing techniques, specifically avoiding black for darkening warm colors.
Wikipedia: Watercolor painting↗
- part 10 — applied to Adapted techniques for layering, washing, and lifting in pastel.
Wikipedia bio — Odilon Redon↗
- part 1 — applied to Artist’s transition to pastel and abandonment of noirs.
- part 3 — applied to Artist’s intent to serve the invisible and use imagination.
- part 4 — applied to Use of bright colors and lyrical chromatics in flower pastels.