Who painted Cellule Auriculaire?

Cellule Auriculaire was painted by Odilon Redon in 1894.

Where can I see Cellule Auriculaire?

Cellule Auriculaire is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Cellule Auriculaire?

Cellule Auriculaire is associated with Impressionism.

Artwork

Cellule Auriculaire

Odilon Redon , 1894

Cellule Auriculaire is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Odilon Redon. It dates from 1894 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Cellule Auriculaire is a lithographic print executed by French symbolist Odilon Redon in 1894. Rendered on wove paper, the work presents a central, indistinct form that emits a faint, ghostly illumination, set against a muted background. Thin, filamentous lines hover above the figure, contributing to an overall atmosphere of ambiguity and quiet tension.

Subject & Meaning

The composition centers on an obscure, shadowy entity whose soft radiance suggests an ethereal presence rather than a concrete object. The surrounding wisps resemble drifting smoke or hair, reinforcing a sense of the uncanny and inviting viewers to contemplate the boundary between the material and the imagined, a recurring preoccupation in Redon’s oeuvre.

Technique & Style

Created through lithography, Redon employed a smooth limestone surface to transfer ink onto wove paper, allowing for delicate tonal gradations and blurred edges. The print’s muted palette and diffuse lighting exemplify the artist’s late‑career shift toward monochrome and atmospheric effects, emphasizing mood over precise delineation.

History & Provenance

First produced in 1894, Cellule Auriculaire belongs to the period when Redon was exploring printmaking as a primary medium. While specific ownership records are limited, the work has been cited in catalogues of Redon’s prints and is representative of his late symbolic investigations, often appearing in scholarly surveys of his lithographic output.