The artwork “And the eyes without heads were floating like molluscs” was created by the artist Odilon Redon in 1896. It is a piece executed through the medium of lithography on paper and is part of the “The Temptation of Saint Anthony” series. This work is associated with the Symbolism art movement and is categorized within the genre of religious painting.
The artwork presents an unsettling and dreamlike vision characterized by disembodied eyes suspended in a hazy, undefined space. These eyes, devoid of corporeal anchors, drift aimlessly, invoking a sense of the unhinged and the uncanny. Their appearance, comparing them to molluscs according to the title, suggests a fluidity and alien quality that is in keeping with the Symbolist movement’s fascination with the enigmatic and the ineffable. The eyes vary in size and intensity, with some rendered with stark, focused detail while others fade into the background, creating a field of vision that is disorienting and cryptic. Texture within the artwork is achieved through the lithographic process, with fine lines and soft gradations of shading contributing to an ethereal atmosphere that invites contemplation. Overall, the artwork beckons the viewer into an introspective journey, reflective of both existential inquiry and spiritual contemplation.