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Elle tire de sa poitrine une eponge toute noire, la couvre de baisers (She draws from her bosom a sponge, perfectly black, and covers it with kisses)

Odilon Redon

1896

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century

Dominant colour

Elle tire de sa poitrine une eponge toute noire, la couvre de baisers (She draws from her bosom a sponge, perfectly black, and covers it with kisses) is a 1896 ink by Odilon Redon, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Odilon Redon
When & what style?: 1896 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This sketch shows a woman with a black hat and a long dress. She’s holding a dark sponge to her face, like she’s kissing it. The lines are rough and scratchy, almost like a quick drawing. The artist used a method called lithography—it’s like drawing on stone, then printing it. The rough edges and dark shapes make it feel dreamy. Next, check out lithography to see how artists print images this way.