Satanic Image

Odilon Redon was deeply aware of the expressive power of black pigment. His fascination with darkness was accompanied by a powerful attraction to the indeterminate world of dreams where monstrous creatures, such as this figure of Satan, often lurked. Redon’s choice of techniques was fundamental to representing this mysterious world of shadows, here conveyed through his use of charcoal that he rubbed to surround his subject. This haunting drawing is one of several hundred the artist produced as part of a series from 1871 until the early 1890s.