2-725-972 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Christ, 1887. Redon was introduced to printmaking by Rodolphe Bresdin (1822-1885) and liked lithography because he could achieve the rich, velvety blacks he usually obtained with charcoal. Between 1879 and 1908 he made nearly 200 lithographs that he called noires (blacks), believing that black was an agent of the spirit. Using the lithographic crayon to obtain a range of tones, he produced evocative contrasts of black and white to create a mysterious and shadowy world. He appreciated the directness of lithography and commented, "I am amazed that artists have not expanded further this rich and supple art which responds to the most subtle impulses of one's sensibility."