Pandora

Odilon Redon

ca. 1914 · Oil on canvas · European Paintings

In classical mythology, Pandora was a supremely beautiful woman created by the gods and sent to Earth to live among mortals. Redon depicts her nude, in a state of perfect innocence, and surrounded by flowers, like the biblical Eve in the Garden of Eden. According to legend, when Pandora opened the box cradled in her arms, she released all the evils destined to plague humanity, bringing to an end the idyllic Golden Age. This painting is thought to have been made about 1914, on the eve of World War I, when the themes of harmony destroyed and chaos unleashed may have had heightened resonance.

Artist

Odilon Redon

Date

ca. 1914

Medium

Oil on canvas

Department

European Paintings

Credit line

Bequest of Alexander M. Bing, 1959