The Charger
1894
Medium
Lithograph
Dimensions
sheet: 19 1/8 x 13 11/16 in. (48.5 x 34.8 cm) image: 9 1/2 x 7 11/16 in. (24.1 x 19.5 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1922
Accession Number
22.104.4
Tags
Art Historical Context
Odilon Redon’s 1894 lithograph *The Charger* exemplifies the artist’s signature Symbolist approach, in which everyday subjects are transformed into evocative, dreamlike images. Redon, a leading figure of the late-nineteenth-century Symbolist movement, often used printmaking to explore themes of imagination and the subconscious rather than literal representation. The medium of lithography suited his vision perfectly: its soft, velvety tones and subtle gradations allowed him to create mysterious atmospheres that invite viewers to ponder deeper meanings. Depicting a horse—suggested by the work’s...
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...