Artwork
Cover
Cover is a print by the Impressionist artist Odilon Redon. It dates from 1888 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Cover is a lithograph by Odilon Redon, created for a portfolio inspired by Gustave Flaubert's novel The Temptation of Saint Anthony.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts a shadowy, winged eye floating over a dark landscape, one of many invented creatures and scenes Redon imagined to evoke the novel's dark, surreal atmosphere rather than its literal narrative.
Technique & Style
Redon's use of deep blacks and softened edges in Cover reflects his fondness for charcoal and its ability to create smudgy, dreamy effects, akin to the sfumato technique used by earlier artists.
Context
The Temptation of Saint Anthony, the novel that inspired Redon's portfolio, is a fantastical account of a hermit's moral trials in the desert, featuring a darkly imaginative tone that Redon sought to capture in his prints.
Artist & collection
Artist
Born Bertrand-Jean Redon on 20 April 1840 in Bordeaux, the artist adopted the name Odilon from his mother, Marie-Odile.
