Et un autre ange sortit du temple qui est au ciel, ayant lui aussi une faucille tranchante (And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, and he also having a sharp sickle)

Art Historical Context

Odilon Redon's *Et un autre ange sortit du qui est au ciel, lui aussi une faucilleante* (1899) draws from the vivid apocalyptic imagery of the Book of in the Bible, depicting an angel emerging from a heavenly temple with a sharp, symbolizing divine harvest and judgment. Created during the fin-de-siècle era, this lithograph reflects Redon's deep engagement with Symbolism, a movement that emphasized mystery, dreams, and the spiritual over realism. Redon, a French artist renowned for his fantastical visions, transitioned from charcoal "noirs" to luminous pastels later in life, but his mastery of lithography in the 1890s produced haunting, ethereal prints like this one. As a lithograph—a planographic printmaking technique where the artist draws directly on a prepared stone with greasy crayon, allowing for rich tonal gradations— this work showcases Redon's innovative use of subtle grays and whites to evoke otherworldly atmospheres. Printed in an edition likely intended for collectors, it belongs to his series inspired by St. John's Apocalypse, blending mysticism with fin-de-siècle anxieties about modernity and the divine. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's Rosenwald Collection, it invites visitors to ponder the interplay of light, shadow, and celestial drama in Redon's poetic universe.

About the Artist

Odilon Redon · 1840–1916

Odilon Redon (1840-1916) was a French Symbolist painter, printmaker, and pastellist whose visionary art bridged the 19th-century Symbolist movement and 20th-century Surrealism. Born Bertrand Redon in Bordeaux on April 20, 1840, he earned the nickname "Odilon" from his mother Odile. His father, who made his fortune in the Louisiana slave trade, conceived Odilon in New Orleans before the family retu...