Artwork
Sur le fond de nos nuits dieu de son doigt savant dessine un cauchemar multiforme et sans treve (On backdrop of our nights God with His knowing finger traces a multiform implacable nightmare)
Sur le fond de nos nuits dieu de son doigt savant dessine un cauchemar multiforme et sans treve (On backdrop of our nights God with His knowing finger traces a multiform implacable nightmare) is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Odilon Redon. It dates from 1890 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Sur le fond de nos nuits dieu de son doigt savant dessine un cauchemar multiforme et sans treve is a lithograph created by Odilon Redon in 1890.
Subject & Meaning
The print features a dark, dreamlike scene with distorted faces and eyes that seem to be watching something, though they don't directly engage the viewer. The title suggests a sense of foreboding, implying that a higher power is tracing a relentless nightmare.
Technique & Style
Executed in black and white lithography, the work relies heavily on shading to create a somber atmosphere. While often associated with Impressionism, Redon's print diverges from the movement's typical focus on modern life, instead embracing a more symbolic and eerie tone.
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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When Life Was Awakening in the Depths of Obscure Matter
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C'est le Diable
There Were Also Embryonic Beings
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Perversité
First a Pool of Water, Then a Prostitute, the Corner of a Temple, a Soldier's Face, a Chariot with Two White, Rearing Horses
Quand s'eveillait la Vie au Fon de la matiere obscure (When life was awakening in the depths of obscure matter)
Then There Appears a Singular Being, Having the Head of a Man on the Body of a Fish