It Is a Skull Wreathed with Roses. It Dominates a Woman's Torso of Pearly Whiteness
1888
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1888
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
You see a pale woman’s torso floating in black space, crowned by a skull wrapped in roses. Redon made this after reading Flaubert’s strange novel about a saint’s visions. He didn’t copy the story—he drew the feeling of it, like a dream you can’t quite remember. The skull and roses feel quiet, not scary. For more of this eerie, half-lit style, look up chiaroscuro.
