Rip Van Winkle
Albertis del Orient Browere American
Washington Irving’s popular story “Rip Van Winkle” (1819–20) inspired several artists to select dramatic moments from it for the subjects of paintings. Browere chose the conflict between the dazed and unkempt Van Winkle, who has just awoken from a long, deep sleep, and a large group of curious onlookers. A town official confronts Van Winkle with questions about his appearance and his politics, and it is eventually discovered that the old man slumbered through the entire period of the American Revolution and the change in the country’s government.
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