Dreams (painting)

Israëls 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]

The 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]

In 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]