A haunting lithograph from Odilon Redon's 1882 series inspired by Edgar Allan Poe, featuring a detached, floating eye rendered in meticulous black and white tones.

This lithograph, titled Everywhere Eyeballs are Aflame, belongs to the 1882 series A Edgar Poe. Odilon Redon produced this collection as a response to the macabre and psychological themes found in the writings of the American author. The image presents a singular, detached eye floating in a void, surrounded by a dense, textured atmosphere that suggests a nebulous or cosmic space. Below, a dark, craggy form emerges from the shadows, grounding the composition in a stark, monochromatic contrast. Redon utilised the medium of lithography to explore the boundaries between reality and the subconscious. His technique involves meticulous cross-hatching and stippling, which creates a range of grey tones and deep blacks. This approach allows for a dreamlike quality, where forms appear to emerge from darkness rather than being defined by clear outlines. The eye, a recurring motif in Redon's work, functions here as an observer or a vessel for internal vision. By stripping away conventional narrative elements, the artist invites the viewer to engage with the psychological weight of the image. The print demonstrates Redon's mastery of light and shadow, often referred to as his 'noirs'. He avoided colour during this period, believing that black was the most essential colour for expressing the inner life. The texture of the lithographic stone is visible in the grain of the shadows, adding a tactile quality to the ethereal subject matter. This work remains a primary example of Symbolist printmaking, where the focus shifts from the external world to the internal landscape of the mind. It is a study in isolation, perception, and the uncanny, rendered with technical precision.