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Fear
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Odilon Redon used parallel lines of varying density throughout this etching to enhance its tonal and emotional darkness. The subject was inspired by Johann Wolfgang Goethe's 1782 poem describing a father who discovered his child's death after a cold and windy nighttime journey. The figures and the man's white cape contrast dramatically with the scale and tone of their surroundings. Redon made few etchings during his career. This one was a gift to his friend, French art critic and novelist Joris-Karl Huysmans, and features a personalized dedication at the bottom of the sheet.
| Artist / Maker | Odilon Redon |
|---|---|
| Date | 1866 |
| Culture / Origin | France, 19th century |
| Medium | etching |
| Dimensions | Image: 11 x 20 cm (4 5/16 x 7 7/8 in.); Platemark: 14 x 22.3 cm (5 1/2 x 8 3/4 in.); Sheet: 27.4 x 35.1 cm (10 13/16 x 13 13/16 in.) |
| Department | Prints |
| Type |
About the Artist
A leader of the symbolist movement in France, Odilon Redon was born in Bordeaux in 1840 and grew up in the surrounding region. During his early years he studied drawing, architecture, and the violin. A friendship with Armand Clavaud, a local botanist and philosopher, stimulated Redon's passion for romantic art and literature. In 1864, after a brief and discouraging period of instruction with Gérôme in Paris, Redon returned to Bordeaux, where he studied printmaking with Rodolphe Bresdin (1825-1885). Deploring the… Full biography →
Provenance & Source
Image & data: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 / Public Domain.
Condition
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