The Beasts of the Sea, Round Like Leather Bottles, plate 22 of 24

Art Historical Context

Odilon Redon's *The Beasts of the, Round Like Leather Bottles* (plate 22 of 24), created in 1896, visitors into the dreamlike realm of Symbolism. Redon, a pioneering French artist, was renowned for his "Noirs"—monochromatic works blending fantasy and the subconscious. This lithograph, part of his album *Les Origines*, ethereal sea creatures with bulbous, leather-bottle forms, evoking a poetic underwater world where nature morphs into the surreal. Its whimsical title draws from literary inspiration, capturing Redon's fascination with the mysterious origins of life. Printed in black ink on delicate gray China paper laid down on ivory wove, the medium exemplifies Redon's mastery of lithography. This technique allowed him to achieve velvety textures and subtle gradations akin to charcoal drawings, creating an atmospheric depth that blurs reality and imagination. At 26.1 × 19.4 cm, the intimate scale draws viewers close, enhancing its hypnotic pull. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints and Drawings department, this work reflects fin-de-siècle anxieties and wonders, bridging Impressionism's light with Symbolism's introspection. Redon's visions influenced later Surrealists, reminding us of art's power to conjure the unseen wonders of the deep.

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...