The Dreamer (La Rêveuse)

Museum record 12007: The Dreamer (La Rêveuse) by Jean Antoine Watteau. A verified entry point for discovery.

What to notice

For The Dreamer (La Rêveuse) (record 12007), start with modern, expressive, atmospheric. Compare the focal subject, edge treatment, and atmosphere before moving on.

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The traditional title of this small painting, The Dreamer , derives from an engraving made after it, which was intended for sale to a wider audience. The work is one of a number of small figure paintings by Jean-Antoine Watteau in which the subject’s clothing was inspired by contemporary theater. Here, the woman wears a pseudo-Turkish costume, which reflects the Western European vogue for Turkish culture (“turquerie”) at that time. Watteau’s uniquely delicate, sensitive, and intimate style influenced a n…