Galloping Horseman

Art Historical Context

Odilon Redon's *Galloping Horseman*1866) captures a fleeting moment of raw energy through the ancient technique of etching. At just 26, the French artist—later a pioneer of Symbolism—produced this dynamic print during his early experimentation with black-and-white media. The image, measuring a compact 6.3 × 13.5 cm, depicts a rider in furious motion, evoking the Romantic thrill of speed and power amid the industrial stirrings of Second Empire France. Printed on delicate light gray China paper and laid down on sturdy ivory wove paper, the work showcases etching's precision: acid biting into a metal plate to create rich, velvety lines that suggest movement and shadow. Redon's noirish style here draws from masters like Goya, blending realism with emerging dreamlike tendencies that would define his later pastels and lithographs. This rarity from his pre-Symbolist phase highlights his technical virtuosity in printmaking, a democratic medium that brought art to wider audiences. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints and Drawings Department, *Galloping Horseman* invites visitors to ponder motion frozen in ink—a testament to Redon's lifelong fascination with the unseen forces animating the visible world.

About the Artist

Odilon Redon · 1840–1916

Odilon Redon (1840-1916) was a French Symbolist painter, printmaker, and pastellist whose visionary art bridged the 19th-century Symbolist movement and 20th-century Surrealism. Born Bertrand Redon in Bordeaux on April 20, 1840, he earned the nickname "Odilon" from his mother Odile. His father, who made his fortune in the Louisiana slave trade, conceived Odilon in New Orleans before the family retu...