And In the Very Disk of the Sun Shines the Face of Jesus Christ

1888

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century Religious

Dominant colour

And In the Very Disk of the Sun Shines the Face of Jesus Christ is a 1888 by Odilon Redon, a Impressionism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Odilon Redon
When & what style?: 1888 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

You see a bright yellow sun floating in a dark sky, and inside the sun’s circle is a pale, calm face of Jesus. Redon made this after reading a strange novel about a saint’s visions. The book never describes this exact scene—he just invented it from the mood. The dark background makes the sun feel like a dream. If you like this eerie glow, look up the technique called *chiaroscuro*.