The artwork titled “And he discerns an arid, knoll-covered plain (plate 7)” was executed by artist Odilon Redon in 1896. Employing the medium of lithography on paper, Redon contributed this piece to the Symbolism art movement, essentially framing it within the genre of religious painting. It forms part of the series “The Temptation of Saint Anthony”, presenting a visual meditation deeply entrenched in symbolic and spiritual themes.
The artwork itself depicts a desolate and barren landscape comprised of rugged, uneven rock formations. The knoll-covered plain stretches into the distance, suggesting a vast and empty expanse. The sky overhead appears heavy and indifferent, with clouds that are lightly etched into the lithograph, providing a contrast to the more heavily detailed rocky terrain below. This visual desolation might evoke feelings of contemplation or introspection, aligning with the religious and existential themes common to Redon’s series on the Temptation of Saint Anthony. The composition’s lack of human presence forces the viewer to engage with the starkness of the environment, which symbolizes the existential solitude one may encounter in the search for spiritual clarity.