Five Butterflies

Odilon Redon

National Gallery of Art

This painting shows five butterflies of various colors on a cream-colored background. The butterflies are arranged in a loose diagonal line, although four of them are gathered closer to the top-right corner. The butterflies are painted in colors such as blue, red, yellow, and brown. The butterflies are painted with varying levels of detail, with one in the center being particularly abstract. The lowest butterfly, near the bottom-left corner, appears to be crawling or is seen from a side view, while the other four are flying and are seen from above.