Artwork

Il y eut des luttes et des vaines victoires (There were struggles and vain victories)

Il y eut des luttes et des vaines victoires (There were struggles and vain victories) is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Odilon Redon. It dates from 1883 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

This print is from 1883, and it’s not a painting but a lithograph—meaning it was drawn on stone and printed.

This sketch shows a woman with wild hair and bare shoulders, fighting a giant sea creature. She’s kneeling on its back, gripping a spear high above her head. The monster’s tentacles coil around her legs, and the waves below churn around them.

The artist used quick, dark lines to show movement and tension. This print is from 1883, and it’s not a painting but a lithograph—meaning it was drawn on stone and printed.

Next, check out lithography to see how artists like Redon made prints this way.

Overview

Il y eut des luttes et des vaines victoires (There were struggles and vain victories) is a lithograph created by Odilon Redon in 1883.

Subject & Meaning

The print depicts a woman with disheveled hair and exposed shoulders battling a giant sea creature, kneeling on its back and wielding a spear as the monster's tentacles ensnare her legs amidst turbulent waves.

Technique & Style

Redon employed swift, dark lines to convey a sense of movement and tension, characteristic of his lithographic technique, which involved drawing on stone to produce the printed image.