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Redon, Odilon - Mystic series 5
Identifier
008035
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
Having been through the trials, the purgatory, the pain and the healing, I think that Redon was really not sure what his role was or his destiny in life. He knew enough about the spiritual path and the various roles one could take to be aware that he should know in order to 'Know thyself'
He had a number of attempts to try to decide based on the Tarot roles, - Hermit, Hierophant, Knight and so on, but he kept on changing his mind.
The symbolism within his paintings, to my mind, makes him a mixture between a true hierophant - a teacher of truths and a hermit, who actually blazes new lone trails. But there is no doubt he suffered a number of the pangs of the knight.
The paintings below include The mystical knight Oedipus and the Sphinx 1869.