Miguel Llobet
1908
Medium
Lithograph in black on light gray China paper laid down on white wove paper
Dimensions
Image: 9.5 × 9.5 cm (3 3/4 × 3 3/4 in.); Chine: 17.4 × 17.7 cm (6 7/8 × 7 in.); Sheet: 43.3 × 32 cm (17 1/16 × 12 5/8 in.)
Classification
lithograph
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
79795
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
Odilon Redon’s 1908 lithograph “Miguel Llobet” presents a sensitive portrait of the celebrated Spanish classical guitarist. Executed in black on delicate light-gray China paper, the small square image measures just under four inches on each side, drawing viewers close to savor the artist’s subtle tonal gradations and precise line work. Redon, long celebrated for his explorations in printmaking, used lithography’s capacity for rich, velvety blacks and soft transitions to create an intimate likeness that feels both immediate and contemplative. Though Redon is often associated with Symbolist imagery, this work reveals his equal facility for direct observation. The choice of a modest, hand-pulled print on fine paper underscores his interest in making art that could circulate beyond the studio, allowing music lovers and collectors alike to own a refined memento of a leading performer of the early twentieth century. Today housed in the Art Institute of Chicago’s Prints and Drawings collection, the lithograph quietly bridges the worlds of visual art and music, inviting modern audiences to appreciate the quiet power of Redon’s graphic technique.
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...