It seems like the model in Odilon Redon's Closed Eyes is wearing a pair of Bluetooth headphones, chilling out to soothing, mellow beats – that’s how meditative she appears. 

The inspiration for Closed Eyes goes back a few hundred years to Michelangelo’s Dying Slave, which deeply affected Redon when he viewed it at the Louvre. He even wrote in his diary about the "strange charm" of the closed eyes of the dying slave.

The 16^th Century sculpture of a dying slave is Michelangelo’s symbol for the “quest for absolute truth in art.” Whether Redon was aware of this quote or not, the sculpture clearly affected him and lined up with his beliefs. Redon’s personal journey for truth came in the form of symbolism. This was a time when the Impressionists were breaking ground in the modern world. As one of the founders of the French Symbolists, Redon explored the interior world and often delved into the world of dreams, and so he stood out from the Impressionists, who depicted everyday scenes from the world outside, as well as the world of nature. You’d never find Monet painting a woman looking so mystical and serene; he’s too busy with his lily pads. The rise of industrialization and all the material goods that came with it held no interest for Redon. 

So, who exactly is this sleeping beauty? While Redon refers to it as “this androgynous head,” there are some who believe the face is similar to Redon’s wife, Camille Falte. It isn’t a surprise that Redon painted her; Camille was the force behind Redon’s work and kept them from a life of poverty thanks to her savvy negotiations with art dealers. 

If you think you’ve seen Closed Eyes before, but remember it slightly different, then you probably saw a version of it. After all, Odilon Redon often remixed the classics. That is to say, he reworked an image even after he executed it on the canvas. In fact, he painted several variations of Closed Eyes and successfully sold a version to Theo van Gogh.

Closed Eyes also marks Redon’s transition from monochrome to color. There’s only so much black and white a person can paint, so let’s stop ignoring the colors of the rainbow.