Intelligence was mine! I became the Buddha (L'intelligence fut a moi! Je devins le Bouddha), plate 12 from the series Tentation de Saint-Antoine

A kneeling androgynous figure in a headdress and flowing garb is enveloped in light emanating from a disc, which could represent either the sun or a flower. Probably intended as a scene of meditation or enlightenment, Redon’s image refers to a section of Flaubert’s text that characterizes the Buddha as a “crazed magus.” In Redon’s interpretation, however, the figure does not seem to follow the same pejorative characterization. Although Redon displayed a consistent interest in Eastern religions, perhaps seeking an alternative to Catholicism, his incorporation of exotic mystical elements remains eclectic and ambiguous in meaning.