A Trial Plate for Mallarmé's "Un coup de dés" (A Throw of the Dice)
Original title: A Trial Plate for Mallarmé's "Un coup de dés" (A Throw of the Dice)
kurzbeschreibung
Odilon Redon made this trial proof in 1897–1898, a lithograph intended for Stéphane Mallarmé's poem 'Un coup de dés'. A woman's head in profile appears, crowned by a tower-like structure. Abstract shapes surround it — a bird, geometric patterns that call dice to mind.
Description
A female profile faces right, her headdress rising like a pyramid. Behind her lie abstract lines and forms, among them a bird and patterns suggesting playing cards or dice. The arrangement feels asymmetric: the head in front, the signs behind it. Toward the bottom sit smaller, indistinct shapes that belong to the design. Color stays monochrome in shades of gray, the light even, with no hard shadows.
Context
This lithograph grew out of Mallarmé's experimental poem 'Un coup de dés', published in 1897. Redon was turning more and more to printmaking in those years and moved in Symbolist circles. The trial proofs prepared the way for the final publication, with Redon devising the visual translation of the text. Mallarmé's poetry circles around chance and the throw of the dice — a theme echoed in the abstract motifs.
Impact
Delicate grays and clear lines produce a quiet, thoughtful mood. The meeting of a realistic profile with abstract elements behind it invites associations and underlines the poetic, symbolic character of the sheet.
Technique
For the lithograph Redon drew with greasy chalk on the stone, which was then printed. Varying pressure and the treatment of the stone brought out the fine shading and lines. This sheet is a trial proof, documenting how the artist developed the image and adjusted the motif.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)