The artwork titled “Death: It is I who makes you serious; let us embrace each other” is a lithograph on paper created by artist Odilon Redon in 1896. Measuring 23.4 x 21.4 cm, it forms part of the series “The Temptation of Saint Anthony,” reflecting the Symbolist movement of the late 19th century, which sought to express the ineffable and the psychological through symbolic representations rather than direct realism. As a genre, it falls under symbolic painting—artworks that evoke ideas and emotional experiences through symbolic figures and narrative elements.
In this particular work, the viewer is presented with a bleak and evocative encounter. The composition is anchored by the figure of Death, characterized by a skeletal form draped in a long, flowing garment. Redon’s choice to render the specter of Death with such stark detail against a more ambiguously defined background accentuates the thematic contrast between the ethereal and the eternal. Beside Death stands a nude, seemingly pensive figure enveloped by darkness yet casting a gaze toward the skeletal being, perfectly encapsulating a moment of profound contemplation or resignation.
The evocative nature of the artwork is further underlined by the inscription at the bottom, which translates to “Death: It is I who makes you serious; let us embrace each other.” This chilling dialogue imbues the scene with an existential weight, inviting the observer to reflect on the inevitable mortality that unites all human experience. Redon’s expertise in the lithographic medium is evidenced by the skillful manipulation of light and shadow, creating a haunting atmosphere that lingers with the viewer well beyond the initial observation.