The vague glimmer of a head suspended in space

Art Historical Context

Odilon Redon's *The Vague Glimmer of a Suspended in Space*1891) is a haunting lithograph that captures the artist's mastery of Symbolism, a movement he helped pioneer in late 19th-century France. During his "Noirs" period, Redon favored black-and-white media like lithography to evoke dreamlike visions, blending the ethereal with the uncanny. This print, with its modestly sized image of just 6 7/8 x 8 3/16 inches on a larger sheet, depicts a disembodied head floating mysteriously above hinted hills, its form dissolving into soft, glimmering ambiguity. Lithography allowed Redon to achieve subtle gradations of tone and texture, mimicking charcoal drawings while enabling editioned prints for wider reach. The medium's greasy crayon on stone produced velvety blacks and luminous whites, perfect for his fantastical motifs inspired by literature, science, and the subconscious—echoing influences like Edgar Allan Poe and emerging ideas in psychology. Acquired through the Rogers Fund in 1920 for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, this work exemplifies Redon's ability to suspend viewers between reality and reverie, inviting contemplation of the unseen forces shaping human perception. A testament to Symbolism's cultural shift toward inner worlds amid industrialization, it remains a captivating portal to the artist's imaginative realm.

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...