Redon hoped his art would produce in his beholders “by sudden attraction, the whole evocation, and the whole enticement of the uncertain within the confines of thought.” He often revisited the image of the centaur, depicted here as a warrior, holding a nearly imperceptible bow and arrow. The picture’s ostensible subject, the mythological creature is difficult to discern, merging as it does in color with the tree behind. A brilliant, velvety blue rock form set against a glittering pink sky—heightened by the tactile materiality of the pastel medium—attracts and distracts us, liberating our imagination.