The Dreamer Painting Analysis

Spanning the years 1765 to 1769, the French artist Jean-Baptiste Greuze painted The Dreamer in oil on canvas. His painting, The Dreamer is a beautiful example of Greuze’s talent in portraying emotion by successfully combining the elements of art which enhance the mood of the image. Greuze creates a well constructed composition through the use of line, color and light to convey the state of being at rest and nearing a peaceful slumber. His use of smooth, flowing lines which curve with the figure draws the viewers gaze to the figures face highlighting the serene expression. The direction of the curving lines created by the drapery of the shirt fabric mimics the curve of the breast and shoulder and draws the eye to the face of the figure. The lines present in the clothing are mainly horizontal …show more content…
The soft, cool tones of the muted yellow brown color of the draped blanket and the sheer gray color of the fabric across the figure's breasts compliment the soft glow of the figure's skin, adding to the calm mood. The accurate coloring of the skin allows us to decipher that Greuze was painting from life, using local color to create realism. Greuze’s repeated use of the low intensity colors grey blue, yellow brown and dusty rose within the painting help to convey a sedate, relaxed setting. The cool grey blue used within the background can also be found in the shadows of the draped clothing and the light coloring of the eyelid. The yellow brown of the draped blanket behind the sitter’s neck and shoulders is also found in the hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes. The dusty rose color of the ribbon in the sitter’s hair is repeated in the lips and cheeks of the sitter. The repetition of the limited color palette allows the viewers gaze to focus on the emotion of the sitter’s face, undistracted by vividly saturated colors which would give an energetic feel to the