Artwork

And He Had in His Right Hand Seven Stars; and Out of His Mouth Went a Sharp Two-Edged Sword

And He Had in His Right Hand Seven Stars; and Out of His Mouth Went a Sharp Two-Edged Sword is a print by the Impressionist artist Odilon Redon. It dates from 1899 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

A floating figure glows in deep blue space, holding seven stars and spitting a long, sharp sword from his mouth.

A floating figure glows in deep blue space, holding seven stars and spitting a long, sharp sword from his mouth. His face is calm, almost blank, but the symbols feel heavy.

Redon made this as part of a series illustrating the Book of Revelation. He usually painted dreams and myths, but here he stuck close to the Bible’s strange, vivid images. The stars and sword aren’t just decorations—they’re direct quotes from the text.

If you like this mix of dream and scripture, look up the subject *france, late 19th century*.

Overview

This lithograph belongs to the final set of eleven portfolios produced by Odilon Redon, each interpreting passages from the biblical Book of Revelation. The image depicts a serene, floating figure against a deep blue background, clutching seven stars and emitting a double‑edged sword from its mouth, directly referencing the scriptural description.

Subject & Meaning

The composition visualizes the Revelation passage that describes a figure holding seven stars and speaking a sharp sword, symbols traditionally linked to authority and divine judgment. Redon’s rendering retains the enigmatic tone of the text while presenting the iconography in a stark, almost clinical manner.

Technique & Style

Executed as a lithograph, the work employs Redon’s characteristic use of stark contrasts and luminous tones to create a sense of otherworldly space. The figure’s calm, featureless face and the glowing stars are rendered with precise line work, emphasizing the surreal yet literal translation of the biblical scene.

History & Provenance

Published in the early 1890s by the Parisian dealer Ambroise Vollard, this portfolio arrived after Vollard had begun promoting Redon’s prints to an international audience. By this stage Redon was already a recognized figure in the French art world, and the series reinforced his reputation for merging symbolist imagination with literary sources.

Context

Redon’s choice to illustrate Revelation aligns him with earlier artists such as Albrecht Dürer, who also tackled apocalyptic themes. While much of his oeuvre dwells on dreams and myth, this series marks a deliberate turn toward a more literal engagement with biblical imagery, reflecting broader fin‑de‑siècle interests in mysticism and the occult.