Artwork
Le Satyre au cynique sourire (The Satyr with the cynical smile)
Le Satyre au cynique sourire (The Satyr with the cynical smile) 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
Overview
Odilon Redon’s lithograph Le Satyre au cynique sourire was produced in 1883. The work presents a solitary, half‑smiling figure whose features emerge from a dark, grainy surface. The composition is dominated by a tangled mass of hair framing a face with narrow, intense eyes and a slightly ajar mouth, suggesting a whispered remark.
Subject & Meaning
The image depicts a mythological satyr, a creature traditionally associated with revelry and the untamed aspects of nature. Redon’s rendering, however, emphasizes a cynical expression, hinting at a more introspective or sardonic commentary on human folly or the duality of pleasure and melancholy.
Technique & Style
Executed in lithography, the print relies on the artist’s manipulation of greasy crayon on stone, yielding a rough, textured surface. The lines are deliberately uneven, and the tonal areas appear scratched and grainy, giving the figure a sketch‑like, almost incised quality that enhances its enigmatic presence.
History & Provenance
Created during Redon’s mature period, the lithograph reflects his ongoing interest in symbolist themes and the exploration of print media. While specific ownership records are limited, the work has been exhibited in several retrospectives of Redon’s graphic output, illustrating its role within his broader oeuvre.
Artist & collection
Artist
Born Bertrand-Jean Redon on 20 April 1840 in Bordeaux, the artist adopted the name Odilon from his mother, Marie-Odile.
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Perversité
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Das Gastmahl des Trimalchio: pl. I (The Banquet of Trimalchio: pl. I)
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Le Sphynx...mon regard que rien ne peut devier, demeure tendu a travers les choses sur un horizon inaccessible. La Chimere: Moi,Je suis legere et joyeuse (The Sphinx: "My gaze, which nothing can deflect, passes through the things and remains fixed on an inaccessible horizon." The Chimera: "I am weightless and joyful")
Apres cela je vis descendre du ciel un ange qui avait la clef de l'abime, et une grande chaine en sa main (And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand)
Cellule Auriculaire
The Chimera Gazed at All Things with Fear
Et l'homme parut, interrogeant le sol d'ou il sort et qui l'attire, il se fraya la voie vers (And Man appeared; questioning theearth from which he emerged and which attracts hi m, he made his way toward somber brightness)
Quasimodo
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