The Sphinx: "My gaze, which nothing can deflect, passes through the things and remains fixed on an inaccessible horizon." The Chimera: "I am weightless and joyful." 19th-20th century

Curator: Oh, what a disquieting image! It's a lithograph by Odilon Redon titled "The Sphinx" and "The Chimera." Redon, who lived from 1840 to 1916, conjures a truly dreamlike encounter here. Editor: Yes, it's evocative! The contrast is striking—the solid, grounded Sphinx versus the ethereal, floating Chimera. It feels like a conversation between the tangible and the imagined. Curator: Precisely. The Sphinx, rendered with such clarity, embodies earthly knowledge, while the Chimera, a shadowy figure, represents the boundless realm of fantasy. The texture adds to this tension. Editor: Definitely. The grainy lithographic texture gives the Chimera a hazy, insubstantial quality, like it could vanish any moment. It really encapsulates that joyful weightlessness the title suggests. Curator: Redon masterfully employs chiaroscuro to emphasize this duality, doesn't he? The interplay of light and dark directs our gaze, highlighting the conceptual divergence. Editor: It does, but I also think the scale tricks the eye; is the Chimera bigger, or just closer? It makes me question my own perspective. Curator: An apt reflection, I must say. Editor: Agreed.