Battle (Bataille)
Odilon Redon
French, 1840–1916
1865
A small etching and drypoint by Odilon Redon that compresses a chaotic, almost hallucinatory battlefield into a dense vignette, using incisive line and rich tonal contrasts to suggest panic and confusion.
You’re first struck by the tiny dark rectangle set in the center of a broad white sheet; inside it a swirl of indistinct, writhing figures, slashed highlights, and a brooding, turbulent sky create a sketchy yet violently urgent impression.
An early work showing Redon’s move away from literal representation toward a symbolic, psychological use of printmaking, presaging the dreamlike imagery that would define his later career.
Medium
Etching and drypoint
Dimensions
plate: 2 15/16 x 5 13/16" (7.4 x 14.7 cm); sheet: 9 1/2 x 12 3/4" (24.1 x 32.4 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Victor Thaw
Accession
149.1954
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
