A La Vieillesse (To Old Age)

Odilon Redon

1886

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century Portrait

About this work

This sketch shows a blurred face with wavy hair and a beard. The lines are soft and smudged, almost like smoke. The person’s eyes are hidden in shadow, and the whole image feels ghostly. The artist used a loose, sketchy style—no sharp edges, just quick strokes. This was made as a lithograph, which means the drawing was transferred onto stone and printed. Next, check out lithography to see how this technique works.