Cover
1896
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1896
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
You see a dark, swirling shape that could be a face or a ghost—it’s hard to tell. The edges blur into shadow, and only a few pale lines suggest eyes or a mouth. Redon made this after reading a spooky novel about hauntings. He didn’t draw monsters; he drew the feeling of something lurking just out of sight. His friend, a master printer, helped him press these smoky images onto paper. Look up the technique called *sfumato*—it’s how artists soften edges until they fade like smoke.
