L’infante 1880

Odilon Redon created "L’infante" using charcoal, a humble material that allowed him to achieve an extraordinary range of tonal effects. Observe how he coaxes luminosity from the depths of blackness, building up layers of powdery pigment on the paper's surface. This isn't just drawing; it's a tactile, almost sculptural process. Redon's technique involved smudging, erasing, and reworking the charcoal, creating a dreamlike atmosphere around the Infante, a Spanish or Portuguese princess. The very act of manipulating charcoal—grinding it, blending it, fixing it—becomes an integral part of the artwork's meaning. Redon elevates this simple medium, traditionally associated with preparatory sketches, to a state of profound expressiveness, questioning the hierarchy between "high" art and the so-called minor arts of drawing and printmaking. Ultimately, it's through this masterful manipulation of material that Redon invites us into a world of reverie and imagination.