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The Spanish Girl in Reverie

1831
Not on view
When Allston first exhibited this painting at the Boston Athenaeum in 1831, he also displayed his poem that inspired the composition. It told the romantic story of "Sweet Inez," who awaits the return of her lover, Isidore, from war. Allston’s portrayal of the figure is ethereal and luminous, revealing yearning, hope, and fear. Alone in a dramatic setting, she is caught in a moment of reverie. The artist’s approach to the landscape attracted great interest due to its delicate atmospheric effects, created through the meticulous application of glazings of diaphanous color.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The Spanish Girl in Reverie
  • Artist: Washington Allston (American, Georgetown, South Carolina 1779–1843 Cambridgeport, Massachusetts)
  • Date: 1831
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 30 x 25 in. (76.2 x 63.5 cm)
  • Credit Line: Gift of Lyman G. Bloomingdale, 1901
  • Object Number: 01.7.2
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

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