Sciapode

About this artwork

verzamelaarsmerk, verso midden, gestempeld: Lugt 2228

Art Historical Context

this etching, a solitary face emerges from a dark, tapering form that floats against an undefined void. The head is rendered upside down, with eyes gazing outward and subtle shading defining its features. Soft gradients of black and gray, achieved through delicate etching lines and tonal washes, create a sense of weightlessness and mystery, while the surrounding paper remains largely untouched, emphasizing the figure’s isolation in space. Odilon Redon produced *Sciapode* in 1912 using the etching medium. The work reflects his longstanding fascination with imaginary beings drawn from myth and reverie. As a leading figure of the Symbolist movement, Redon often explored themes of the subconscious and the fantastic in his later prints, inviting viewers to encounter the strange and evocative rather than the everyday.

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...