France, late 19th Century / 1896
The Breadth and Flatness of the Frontal Bone
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs The Breadth and Flatness of the Frontal Bone as print (France, late 19th Century · 1896).
One of Redon's greatest patrons, the occultist René Philipon, commissioned this portfolio as a supplement for his French translation of Bulwer-Lytton's The Haunted and the Haunters.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this print as lithograph on China paper laid on wove paper and credits Odilon Redon (French, 1840–1916).
The museum's collection notes: Odilon Redon was a voracious reader of contemporary literature, and such texts often influenced his art. This series was inspired by The Haunted and the Haunters, an 1859 novel by British writer Edward Bulwer-Lytton. Redon’s prints capture the book’s mysterious tone and emphasis on the supernatural through vague but evocative imagery that sometimes borders on abstraction. By this time a seasoned expert in lithography, the artist collaborated with master printer Auguste Clot. Their combined technical skills allowed for the rich tonal variation seen here, made by turning Redon’s lithographic crayon on its side, layering various marks, and even
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtThe Breadth and Flatness of the Frontal BoneOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.