1886
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Cain and Abel is a 1886 ink by Odilon Redon, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows two figures in a tense moment. One person is on top, raising a club like they’re about to strike. The other is crouched below, looking away. Their bodies are drawn with quick, rough lines—no smooth details, just sharp edges and dark shadows. The scene feels urgent, like a fight about to happen. The artist used a technique that lets ink pile up in certain spots, making the lines look almost scratchy. Next, check out etching to see how artists like this create texture with acid and metal plates.
Born Bertrand-Jean Redon on 20 April 1840 in Bordeaux, the artist adopted the name Odilon from his mother, Marie-Odile.
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