#15977 Odilon Redon (1840-1916)

The drawing presents a stark and unsettling scene centered around a raven perched on a window ledge. The composition is framed by a rectangular window, its wooden structure rendered with meticulous detail in a monochromatic palette. Beyond the window lies a muted landscape – a suggestion of sky and distant forms – rendered in soft, indistinct tones that contribute to an atmosphere of melancholy and isolation.
The raven dominates the foreground. Its form is depicted with considerable precision; the artist has captured the bird’s characteristic posture, its sharp beak prominently displayed, and the texture of its feathers suggested through careful hatching. The dark coloration of the raven contrasts sharply with the lighter tones of the window frame and background, drawing immediate attention to it as the focal point. Its gaze is directed downwards, seemingly lost in contemplation or perhaps observing something beyond the viewer’s perspective.
The use of a limited tonal range – primarily browns and tans – creates a sense of somberness and antiquity. The texture achieved through the drawing technique adds visual interest and depth to the image. The darkness surrounding the window frame further isolates the scene, enhancing its feeling of confinement and introspection.
Subtextually, the raven’s presence evokes associations with ill omen, mystery, and loss – traditional symbolic meanings attached to this bird in Western culture. Its placement within a window suggests a boundary between interiority and exteriority, perhaps representing a barrier between the observer and the world beyond. The indistinct background hints at an unknown or inaccessible realm, adding to the overall sense of ambiguity and foreboding. The drawing’s quiet stillness invites contemplation on themes of solitude, mortality, and the weight of unseen forces.