Dreams (Dutch: Droomen) is an 1860 oil-on-canvas painting by Dutch artist Jozef Israëls. The painting is a depiction of peasant girl lying near the ocean. The painting was sold in 1860 and it was not seen again until 1927 when a private buyer bought it from Gimbels. The painting did not appear again until it was auctioned by Sotheby's in 2013.
| Dreams | |
|---|---|
| Dutch: Droomen, Italian: Dolce Far Niente | |
 Dreaming | |
| Artist | Jozef Israëls |
| Year | 1872 |
| Medium | Oil-on-canvas |
| Movement | Realism (arts) |
| Subject | Leisure |
| Dimensions | 128.5 cm (50.6 in) x 201.2 cm (79.2 in) |
| Owner | Private collection |
History
editIsraëls first exhibited the painting in 1859 at The Hague with the title Droomen (Dreams).[1] The painting has had many different titles including Dolce far niente, Rêverie, Dreams of Youth and Castles in the Air. The whereabouts of the painting were unknown for many years.[2] After 1860 the painting was not displayed until it surfaced in 1927 in a display at Gimbel Brothers in Philadelphia. it was purchased from Gimbels by a private collector for US$5000 in 1927.[1]
In 1859 art critic Théophile Thoré-Bürger who wrote for Gazette des Beaux-Arts described the original size of the painting and when it was auctioned by Sotheby's they determined that part of the painting was cut away on the left-hand side of the canvas after its 1860 exhibition.[1] The preauction estimate was US$100.000 - 150.000 and it was sold for US$293,000 on May 9, 2013.[3][4]
Description
editThe painting shows a young girl resting with her back on a sand dune and her hands behind her head. She looks toward the sea with the setting Sun casting rays on the waves.[1]
Reception
editIn 1859 writing for Gazette des Beaux-Arts art critic Théophile Thoré-Bürger said the painting, "stood above all" and he was impressed by the realism in the painting.[5] In 2015 the Dordrechts Museum in Dordrecht had an exhibit entitled Holland at its best – Spring of the Hague School. 'Dreams' by Jozef Israels, was called one of the "icons of the exhibition.[4]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Jozef Israëls Dreams (Dolce far niente)". Sothebys. Archived from the original on 14 January 2023. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
- ^ Israëls, Jozef (1999). Jozef Israëls, 1824-1911. Zwolle: Waanders. p. 23. ISBN 9789040094002. Archived from the original on 3 March 2023. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
- ^ "Jozef Israëls Dutch dreams (Dolce Far Niente)". Art Salon. Archived from the original on 14 January 2023. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
- ^ a b "Exhibition about Dutch Landscape". Historiek Magazine. 11 March 2015. Archived from the original on 3 March 2023. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
- ^ Thoré-Bürger, Théophile (1859). "Exposition à la Haye". Gazette des Beaux-Art. 3: 104–105.