Buddha

FRANCE

This is one of several pictures of the Buddha painted in the early 20th century by the French artist Odilon Redon. The Buddha is shown walking along a path in the countryside. He has a round face with a solemn expression. A staff is held in the right hand, and the left hand probably forms the vitarka (teaching) mudra. The Buddha wears a long-sleeved patchwork robe colored in red, yellow, and black. Ornaments hang on the chest and a stole is draped over the shoulders. Although the Buddha is not shown with a nimbus, the splash of radiant yellow above him suggests that he is the bringer of light where there is darkness and ignorance. The bare tree on the right indicates that this is a winter scene, while the touches of green foliage in the foreground hint at the coming of spring. The use of colorful pastels and the imaginative country scene make this painting unique among Buddhist artworks.
In his early career, Redon often worked in black and white, but after 1890 he turned to oils and colorful pastels. His great love of color, flowers, and nature is reflected in this artwork. Redon’s other Buddhist-themed paintings include Buddha Walking among the Flowers and Buddha in His Youth.