1899
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
And I John Saw These Things, and Heard Them is a 1899 by Odilon Redon, a Impressionism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
You see a floating eye, a winged horse, and a city in flames—all drawn in smoky black lines on pale paper. Redon made this as part of a set illustrating the Book of Revelation. Unlike his usual dreamy blobs, these prints match specific Bible verses, almost like a picture book for the end of the world. If you like how he turns words into eerie images, look up the technique called *sfumato*—it’s the soft, hazy shading that makes his scenes feel like a half-remembered dream.
The last of Odilon Redon’s 11 lithographic portfolios, this series relates to the Book of Revelation from the Christian Bible. The subject had been explored throughout art history, allowing the artist to align himself with past masters, such as Albrecht Dürer. Although Redon often vaguely referenced texts, these prints directly illustrate 12 individual passages, including one about a woman clothed with the sun and another focused on a great star falling from heaven. By the time he created this portfolio, Redon’s reputation was well established. The project was published by art dealer Ambroise…
This is one of the last works where Redon experimented with lithograph and all-black medium. In contrast, bright, dazzling colors characterize his late works.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Born Bertrand-Jean Redon on 20 April 1840 in Bordeaux, the artist adopted the name Odilon from his mother, Marie-Odile.
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