1899
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Dominant colour
And I Saw an Angel Coming Down from Heaven, Having the Key of the Bottomless Pit and a Great Chain in His Hand is a 1899 by Odilon Redon, a Impressionism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
You see a winged angel floating down from clouds, holding a huge key and a heavy chain. Redon made this as part of a set of prints that follow the Book of Revelation, verse by verse. Most of his work feels dreamy and loose, but here he stuck close to the Bible’s strange, dark scenes. If you like this quiet, spooky style, look up the technique called sfumato.
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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