And the Angel Took the Censer

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Artist: Odilon Redon (French, 1840–1916)
Medium: Lithograph
Size: Image: 31 x 21.5 cm (12 3/16 x 8 7/16 in.)
Culture: France, late 19th Century
Museum: Cleveland Museum of Art
Rights: CC0 — no rights reserved

The last of Odilon Redon’s 11 lithographic portfolios, this series relates to the Book of Revelation from the Christian Bible. The subject had been explored throughout art history, allowing the artist to align himself with past masters, such as Albrecht Dürer. Although Redon often vaguely referenced texts, these prints directly illustrate 12 individual passages, including one about a woman clothed with the sun and another focused on a great star falling from heaven. By the time he created this portfolio, Redon’s reputation was well established. The project was published by art dealer Ambroise Vollard, who began to sell and promote Redon’s work about a year earlier, building a market for his prints in Paris and abroad.