Artwork
And There Fell a Great Star from Heaven, Burning as it were a Lamp
And There Fell a Great Star from Heaven, Burning as it were a Lamp 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
Overview
And There Fell a Great Star from Heaven, Burning as it were a Lamp is a print from Odilon Redon's final lithographic portfolio, comprising 11 series that draw on the Book of Revelation.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts a flaming star plummeting from a dark, fissured sky towards a shadowy landscape with bare trees. It directly illustrates a passage from Revelation, a departure from Redon's typically more ambiguous references to texts.
Technique & Style
Redon employed sfumato, a technique characterized by soft, hazy shading, to create an otherworldly atmosphere. This stylistic choice, borrowed from earlier artists, blurs the image's edges and contributes to its dreamlike quality.
History & Provenance
Published by Ambroise Vollard, the portfolio was released when Redon's reputation was already established. Vollard had begun promoting Redon's work about a year earlier, cultivating a market for his prints in Paris and beyond.
Artist & collection
Artist
Born Bertrand-Jean Redon on 20 April 1840 in Bordeaux, the artist adopted the name Odilon from his mother, Marie-Odile.
