Perversity
Original title: Perversity
kurzbeschreibung
Odilon Redon made this etching, titled Perversität, in 1891, during the years when printmaking occupied much of his attention. A woman is seen from behind, her head turned thoughtfully to one side. The image stays entirely in shades of grey, with no colour at all.
Description
Head and shoulders of a woman, viewed from the back. A ring or band rests on her hair. Her lowered gaze, directed sideways, suggests reflection or melancholy. A dark, non-representational ground surrounds the figure and holds her at the centre of the plate. Light falls from the front, tracing the lines of face and neck.
Context
The etching dates from 1891, a period when Redon was studying printmaking closely. It belongs to the orbit of Symbolism, the movement that pursued the inner life and the hidden. The title Perversität hints at an interest in deviation and the limits of morality, a theme taken up often in art around the turn of the century.
Impact
The woman's averted posture and the dark, spare surroundings give the sheet a quiet, restrained mood. Delicate gradations of grey create closeness and a certain fragility that keeps the eye resting on the image longer than expected.
Technique
For this etching the plate was bitten with acid, producing the contours, and then inked. The gradations of the ink and the particularities of the printing yield the monochrome image in various shades of grey.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)