The artwork entitled “On the Horizon, the Angel of Certitude, and in the Dark Sky, A Questioning Glance” was created by the artist Odilon Redon in 1882. The medium used for this piece is lithography on paper, measuring 27.2 x 20.8 cm. It is part of the Symbolism art movement and belongs to the symbolic painting genre. This particular work is from the series “To Edgar Poe” and is currently housed at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) in Los Angeles, CA, USA.
The artwork presents a rather somber and mystifying scene featuring two key elements that stand out in stark contrast to the dark background: a figure that appears to be an angelic or ethereal being, referred to as the “Angel of Certitude,” and an eye suspended in the darkness, symbolizing “A Questioning Glance.” These figures emerge with a spectral quality, gently illuminated amongst the predominant black tones. The angelic figure seems to be partially submerged in what might be interpreted as a body of water, with only the head and shoulders visible, giving rise to an impression of buoyancy or emergence. The eye, meanwhile, floats above, catching attentiveness as a solitary, watchful presence. The luminous eye and the angel’s figure seem to be converging towards one another on the horizon, suggesting an interaction or connection between certainty and inquiry.
The overall atmosphere of the lithograph is one of contemplation and introspection, with both figures embodying deep symbolic meanings, reflective of the themes often explored within the Symbolism movement—an artistic expression that favors the symbolic over the literal, the dreamed or imagined over the observed reality. The influence of Edgar Poe, a master of mystery and the macabre, can be discerned in both the subject matter and mood of Redon’s creation.
