James Smetham (1821-1889), a Victorian painter and critic, is better remembered for his friendships with such Pre-Raphaelite figureheads as Dante Gabriel Rossetti and John Ruskin than for the short time in his career when he adopted their artistic ideology into his own aesthetic.
"The Dream" is a good example of Smetham’s take on the Pre-Raphaelite style as it sports many of its characteristic elements, including the arched format, meticulous finish, and moody intensity.
James Smetham | The Dream, 1856 | High Museum of Art, Atlanta, Georgia
The ghostlike figure floating above the dreamy protagonist also introduces a supernatural element, the basis for the painting’s alternate title: A Communication from Beyond the Veil | © High Museum of Art, Atlanta, Georgia.
James Smetham | Self Portrait
James Smetham | Afternoon Rest
James Smetham | Pandora
James Smetham | Lovers in Richmond Park
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