Sometimes One Finds an Old Reminiscing Flask, Whence Issues in Full Life a Returning Soul, plate 3 of 9

Art Historical Context

Odilon Redon, a pioneering French Symbolist artist, created *Sometimes One Finds an Oldiniscing Flask, Wh Issues in Full Life a Soul* in 1890 as plate 3 of a series of 9. This evocative work belongs to Redon's "Noirs" period, where he masterfully explored dreamlike visions, mysticism, and the subconscious through monochromatic drawings. The poetic title hints at themes of memory, resurrection, and the ethereal boundary between life and spirit—core to Symbolism's rejection of realism in favor of suggestive, otherworldly imagery that stirs the imagination. Rendered as a photogravure from an original drawing in black ink on ivory wove paper, the print captures Redon's delicate linework and subtle tonal gradations with remarkable fidelity. Photogravure, a late-19th-century photomechanical process, allowed for precise reproduction of fine details, making his intimate visions accessible beyond original sketches. Measuring 27.8 × 19.8 cm on the plate (sheet 44.8 × 31.2 cm), it exemplifies how prints democratized Symbolist art during a time of technological innovation in printmaking. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints and Drawings department, this piece invites visitors to ponder Redon's fascination with alchemy and the soul's rebirth, blending scientific curiosity with poetic reverie in an era bridging Romanticism and modernism. A haunting gem for those drawn to the mysteries of the mind.

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...