The Charger
Original title: The Charger
kurzbeschreibung
A horse, its head and neck brought forward, wears a bridle and has wings slightly opened — this is how Odilon Redon's 1894 lithograph Der Reiter presents itself. The upright sheet measures 48.5 × 34.8 cm, while the image itself occupies 24.1 × 19.5 cm. Horse and wings are caught in a suggested movement.
Description
The horse's head and neck fill the front of the sheet and draw the eye. The bridle is carefully drawn, the wings slightly open as if the animal were about to set off or rise. Strokes of varying strength give the coat texture and underline the tension of the pose. The background stays spare and diverts nothing from the animal. Different line weights model light and shadow and produce the greys of the monochrome print.
Context
Redon made this lithograph in 1894, a time when he was deeply engaged with printmaking processes. It belongs to the orbit of Symbolism, a movement that gave great weight to the spiritual and the imaginary. The horse fascinated Redon as a symbolic animal; in his works it often carries mystical or dreamlike traits. The sheet takes its place in a series devoted to movement and mythical subjects.
Impact
The finely graded linework and the restrained colouring lend the sheet a quiet elegance without diminishing its power. From the horse's animated pose arises a tension that holds the viewer. Because the surroundings remain bare, all attention turns to the animal itself; from this grows a timeless, almost meditative aura.
Technique
Printing was done by lithography, a planographic process: a fatty chalk is drawn on a stone, then water and ink are applied to print. Redon worked with different line strengths and densities, achieving fine tonal gradations. Precise details and soft transitions could both be realised in this way — in the horse, both can be traced.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)