The Old Woman: What are you afraid of? A wide black hole! Perhaps it is a void? (plate 19) 1896

Odilon Redon made this lithograph, titled "The Old Woman," using a process rooted in the industrial age. Lithography allowed for the relatively easy reproduction of images, democratizing art in a way previously unseen. The velvety blacks and subtle gradations of tone are achieved by drawing on a stone or metal plate with a greasy crayon, then treating the surface with chemicals so that ink adheres only to the drawn areas. This printmaking technique depends on the interplay between the artist’s hand and the material properties of the lithographic stone. The image itself, with its focus on darkness and the void, speaks to anxieties of the era. The mass production and consumption of goods changed society. Inexpensive prints like this one were part of that phenomenon, reflecting the complex relationship between art, labor, and the burgeoning consumer culture. Redon’s choice of lithography invites us to consider how the means of production shapes the art itself.