Open full image Pin

Le Sphynx...mon regard que rien ne peut devier, demeure tendu a travers les choses sur un horizon inaccessible. La Chimere: Moi,Je suis legere et joyeuse (The Sphinx: "My gaze, which nothing can deflect, passes through the things and remains fixed on an inaccessible horizon." The Chimera: "I am weightless and joyful")

Odilon Redon

1889

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century

Dominant colour

Le Sphynx...mon regard que rien ne peut devier, demeure tendu a travers les choses sur un horizon inaccessible. La Chimere: Moi,Je suis legere et joyeuse (The Sphinx: "My gaze, which nothing can deflect, passes through the things and remains fixed on an inaccessible horizon." The Chimera: "I am weightless and joyful") is a 1889 ink by Odilon Redon, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Odilon Redon
When & what style?: 1889 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This drawing shows two shadowy figures in a dark, cramped space. On the left, a person with a draped head leans forward, their face half-lit. To the right, a giant, looming creature with a lion’s body and a human-like face looms over them. The background is almost entirely black, making the figures stand out sharply. The artist used bold contrasts between light and dark to create tension. The creature’s face is mostly hidden, adding mystery. Next, look up lithography to see how this print was made.