The Man Was Alone in a Night Landscape - Odilon Redon
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Description
A haunting lithograph by Odilon Redon from his 1896 series, depicting a solitary figure in a dark, atmospheric setting.
This lithograph, titled 'The Man Was Alone in a Night Landscape', belongs to the series 'La Tentation de Saint Antoine' (The Temptation of Saint Anthony), published in 1896. Odilon Redon, a French artist associated with the Symbolist movement, utilised the medium of lithography to explore themes of the subconscious, dreams, and the macabre. His technical approach here relies on the manipulation of light and shadow, creating a stark contrast between the illuminated figure and the surrounding darkness.
The composition features a solitary, cloaked figure standing beside a large, textured tree trunk. The figure appears spectral, with features that emerge from the gloom rather than being clearly defined. Redon employs a dense application of ink, using varied pressure to build up the dark areas, which gives the work a tactile, almost velvety quality. The tree, rendered with vertical, scratchy marks, provides a sense of verticality that balances the hunched posture of the man. The atmosphere is one of isolation and quiet contemplation, typical of Redon's 'noirs' series.
Lemercier & Cie., the Parisian printing house credited on the print, was known for its high-quality lithographic work, which allowed artists like Redon to achieve subtle tonal gradations. This print demonstrates the artist's ability to evoke a sense of mystery through minimal visual information. By stripping away unnecessary detail, Redon forces the viewer to focus on the psychological state of the subject. The work is a fine example of late nineteenth-century printmaking, where the focus shifted from objective representation to the expression of internal states of mind. It remains a compelling piece for those interested in the darker, more introspective side of Symbolist art.
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Because every print is made to order, we don't offer change-of-mind returns, refunds or exchanges. If your order arrives faulty, damaged or incorrect, we'll replace it free of charge — just contact us within 48 hours of delivery. See our refunds page for full details.
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Each print is produced to order using 12-colour giclée printing on FSC-certified archival paper. Designed in Britain and printed at your nearest production hub to reduce waste and speed up delivery.
Care and materials
Specific Features
Every Solis piece is made to order with archival, gallery-quality materials built to last.
- Museum-grade giclée printing for rich, fade-resistant colour
- Archival matte fine-art paper, FSC-certified
- Multiple sizes and framing options available
- Frames in black, natural wood, dark wood or white
- Framed prints arrive ready to hang
Care & Cleaning
To keep your artwork looking its best:
- Dust gently with a soft, dry cloth
- Avoid prolonged direct sunlight
- Never use liquid cleaners on the print or canvas surface
- Keep in a dry, room-temperature space
- Handle prints with clean, dry hands
Materials & Sizing
Museum-grade giclée on FSC-certified archival matte paper, with framed and canvas options.
- Paper sizes: A4, A3, A2, A1, A0 and B2 (50×70 cm)
- Canvas: XS (20×30 cm) to Large (60×90 cm)
- Frames: black, natural wood, dark wood or white
The Man Was Alone in a Night Landscape - Odilon Redon
Artist Biography
Odilon Redon
For the first two decades of his career he worked exclusively in black: charcoal drawings and lithographs he called his noirs. Floating eyeballs, severed heads with closed lids, spiders with human faces, plants that grow teeth. The images are hallucinatory but precisely rendered, closer to medical illustration than fantasy. He published his first lithograph album, Dans le Reve, in 1879. Nobody noticed.
Recognition came sideways. In 1884, Joris-Karl Huysmans published A rebours, a novel about a reclusive aesthete who decorates his rooms with Redon's prints. The book became a cult text for the Symbolist movement and Redon became famous by association. Stephane Mallarme, the Symbolist poet, became a close friend. Redon also completed a series of lithographs dedicated to Edgar Allan Poe, whose poems Mallarme and Baudelaire had translated into French.
After 1900 he stopped making noirs entirely and shifted to colour: pastels and oils of flowers, mythological figures and butterflies in palettes that anticipate Matisse. The transition was so complete that the Surrealists later claimed the black work while the Fauves claimed the colour, and neither group seemed to notice they were talking about the same person.
He studied under Jean-Leon Gerome at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, which is an unlikely pairing: Gerome painted Roman gladiators with photographic precision. Redon painted eyeballs attached to balloons. Goya and Delacroix were the influences that actually stuck.
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