Sunday, February 22, 2009

John Anster Fitzgerald - Dreams









[The Artist's Dream] 1857
oil on millboard
Private Collection
the dreamer here is the artist himself who has fallen asleep at his easel. The beautiful fairy looking at him asleep is probably La Sylphide.
[The Nightmare] c. 1857-8
Watercolour on paper
Private Collection
here a girl writhes in anguish. This s probably the most overt drug induced painting in the dequence.
[The Stuff that Dreams are Made Of #1] c. 1858
oil on board
[The Stuff that Dreams are Made Of #2] 1858
oil on canvas
.
1823 - 1906.
Fitzgerald seems to have little formal training but from 1845 he was exhibiting at the RA and seems to have made his living as a portrait painter and illustrator (by the late 1850's he was a regular contributor to the Illustrated London News).
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2 comments:

  1. AnonymousFebruary 22, 2009 at 7:06 PM

    These are so beautiful!

    Drug induced?- Hmmm, interesting...

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  2. HermesFebruary 22, 2009 at 7:12 PM

    He toned down the drug bit for his later versions but there is little doubt that probably opium had a lot to do with their origin. It was openly on sale at the time and people like de Quincey experimented. Amazing paintings though.

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