A funeral mask tolls bell 1882

Odilon Redon created this lithograph, "A funeral mask tolls bell," using a stone plate to reproduce an image. Lithography is an inherently reproducible medium, capable of generating multiple nearly identical images. The image is first drawn on a flat stone or metal plate using a greasy crayon, and then treated with chemicals to fix the design. The plate is then dampened with water, which the greasy areas repel, and inked. When paper is pressed against the plate, the ink transfers, creating the print. Redon’s choice of lithography, rather than a unique medium like painting or drawing, democratizes the image. It suggests that this haunting vision of mortality should be widely shared, that the process echoes the tolling of a bell, summoning all to witness the inevitable. In this context, the work’s materiality speaks volumes. It is not precious or unique, but readily available, reminding us that death itself is the great leveler. The choice of lithography elevates the print from mere reproduction to a powerful statement about mortality and society.