La Mort: C'est Moi Te Rendes Sérieuse; Enlaçons-Nous (Death: It Is I Who Makes You Serious; Let Us Embrace)

published 1938

Odilon Redon, Georges Aubert after Redon, and Gustave Flaubert (author)

Associated Names
Odilon Redon

Artist, French, 1840 - 1916

Gustave Flaubert

Author, French, 1821 - 1880

Georges Aubert

Wood-engraver, French, 1886 - 1961

This is a drawing of a skeletal figure and a nude form in an ethereal, shadowy setting. The drawing presents a scene with a dramatic contrast between light and darkness. On the left side, a skeletal figure emerges from the dark background. Its bleached skull and bones are distinctly visible. Accompanying this figure, on the right, is a nude form. The figure is rendered in soft tones, as if illuminated by a light from the lower right corner of the composition. The juxtaposition of the skeletal figure and the human-like form evokes a sense of life and death, with both figures interacting in this surreal space. The technique used involves shading and gradation to achieve a mysterious quality.
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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    lithograph on chine appliqué on wove Arches paper

  • Credit Line

    Woodner Collection, Gift of Dian Woodner

  • Dimensions

    image (chine appliqué): 30.2 × 21.2 cm (11 7/8 × 8 3/8 in.)
    sheet: 43.5 × 32.8 cm (17 1/8 × 12 15/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2014.137.2.19

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Mellerio 1913, no. 153

  • Series Title

    La Tentation de Saint Antoine (The Temptation of Saint Anthony)

Associated Artworks

See all 23 artworks
The image is a black and white print showing a close-up profile view of a person's head and upper shoulder. The individual is facing towards the right, with a prominent nose and softly detailed eye in profile. The facial features are lightly sketched with a fine texture, and the hair flows down from the head. The background and body texture merge into shadowy patterns, with no distinct clothing visible. The person is not holding any objects or wearing any jewelry. The background is a blend of grey tones and textures, creating a moody, abstract setting in the central portion of the white paper.

Saint-Antoine: Au Secours Mon Dieu!

Odilon Redon, Gustave Flaubert, Georges Aubert

1896

The image is of a book cover page. It features the text "GUSTAVE FLAUBERT" and "LA TENTATION DE SAINT ANTOINE." There is a note about illustrations by Odilon Redon and the publisher "ÉDITIONS AMBROISE VOLLARD" with the year "MCMXXXIII" (1933). Under the text is an illustration of a person in profile with long hair, shown from the head to upper torso in a prayer-like pose. The illustration is framed in an arched border, set against a light-colored paper background.

La Tentation de Saint Antoine (The Temptation of Saint Anthony)

Odilon Redon, Gustave Flaubert, Georges Aubert, Ambroise Vollard, Auguste Clot, Henri Jourde

1896

This is a drawing of an architectural scene with dark shadows and stone structures. The image shows an interior space with grand arches, a staircase, a large pedestal with carvings, and a sculpted head or mask on its surface. The play of light and shadow creates a dramatic effect. The architectural details suggest a historical or classical influence.

Et Partout ce Sont des Colonnes de Basalte,... La Lumière Tombe des Voutes

Odilon Redon, Gustave Flaubert, Georges Aubert

1896

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Dian Woodner, New York, 1990; gift to NGA, 2014.

Associated Names

Bibliography

1913

  • Mellerio, Andre. Odilon Redon. Paris: Societe pour l'Etude de la Gravure Francais, 1913. Reprint. New York, 1968: nos. 153

Inscriptions

recto: at bottom right in graphite in later hand: M 153; verso: none

Markings

none

Wikidata ID

Q77113040

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