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Fear

Odilon Redon

1866

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century

Dominant colour

Fear is a 1866 by Odilon Redon, a Impressionism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Odilon Redon
When & what style?: 1866 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

A man in a billowing white cape kneels over a small, still figure in a dark field. The sky is thick with swirling lines, like a storm frozen in place. Redon made this etching after reading a poem about a father finding his child dead after a long, cold night. The lines are scratched so close together in some places that they turn the paper almost black—like shadows swallowing the scene. He only made a few etchings in his life, and this one was a gift to a writer friend. To see how other artists turned grief into images, look up chiaroscuro.

The story of this work

Overview

Odilon Redon used parallel lines of varying density throughout this etching to enhance its tonal and emotional darkness. The subject was inspired by Johann Wolfgang Goethe's 1782 poem describing a father who discovered his child's death after a cold and windy nighttime journey. The figures and the man's white cape contrast dramatically with the scale and tone of their surroundings. Redon made few etchings during his career. This one was a gift to his friend, French art critic and novelist Joris-Karl Huysmans, and features a personalized dedication at the bottom of the sheet.

Did you know?

An impression of this etching was exhibited in a group of Odilon Redon's work at the 1913 Armory Show, which introduced the artist's work to American audiences.

Read the full account in the museum source.