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The Dreamer

late 1770s
Not on view
A young woman sits on the edge of an armchair near a mirror partially covered with drapery; she appears to be dozing, an open book in hand. Another young woman stands nearby, with one finger raised to her lips to silence her companion, who turns and points to the sleeping figure. Fragonard masterfully captures the interplay of light and texture, especially in the protagonist’s sumptuous silk dress. Liberating form from a defining line, he builds volume almost entirely from a range of spontaneously applied washes. The physical presence of the luminous sleeping figure contrasts markedly with the spectral appearance of her companions, who seem to materialize her imagination in sleep.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The Dreamer
  • Artist: Jean Honoré Fragonard (French, Grasse 1732–1806 Paris)
  • Date: late 1770s
  • Medium: Pencil and sepia wash
  • Dimensions: 12 1/8 x 8 1/2 in. (30.8 x 21.6 cm)
  • Classification: Drawings
  • Credit Line: Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
  • Object Number: 1975.1.627
  • Curatorial Department: The Robert Lehman Collection

More Artwork

More Artwork
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Danse de satyres, Jean Honoré Fragonard French, Etching, first state
Danse de satyres
Jean Honoré Fragonard
n.d.
The Vision of Saint Jerome, Jean Honoré Fragonard French, Etching, first state
The Vision of Saint Jerome
Jean Honoré Fragonard
Johann Liss
1763–64
Bacchante et jeune satyre, Jean Honoré Fragonard French, Etching
Bacchante et jeune satyre
Jean Honoré Fragonard
n.d.
Bacchanale - Satyr and Nymph with Infant and Infant Satyr, Jean Honoré Fragonard French, Etching, second state
Bacchanale - Satyr and Nymph with Infant and Infant Satyr
Jean Honoré Fragonard
n.d.
The Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine, Jean Honoré Fragonard French, Black chalk counterproof, re-worked in black chalk
The Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine
Jean Honoré Fragonard
Mattia Preti (Il Cavalier Calabrese)
ca. 1761

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