1890
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
Cul-de-Lampe is a 1890 ink by Odilon Redon, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This is a simple black-and-white drawing of a thistle flower. The spiky petals radiate outward from a dark center, with two small holes at its core. A thin stem and leaf hang below it, drawn in loose, sketchy lines. The artist used a rough, almost scratchy style to show the texture of the plant. This was made as a small print, not a big painting—just a quick, focused study. If you like this, look up lithography to see how prints like this were made.
Born Bertrand-Jean Redon on 20 April 1840 in Bordeaux, the artist adopted the name Odilon from his mother, Marie-Odile.
See the richer artist page
