How do you imagine the impossible? Is dreaming a display of the subconscious mind?
The dream idea is a theme in paintings throughout history of its meaning and symbolism. Paintings, which depict dreaming, are enigmatic and perplexing. It often causes us to ruminate on the role of dreams in our lives. In other words, art provides a road through which we can explore the strange landscapes of our imagination. Let’s look at what a dreamy phenomenon is and its history.
Dream Painting in Mythology, the Bible, and During the Renaissance
Today, dreaming, the art of the subconscious, is a topic that has changed throughout history. This led to the fact that over time the content and essence of sleep began to change and acquire new meanings. The Renaissance artists believed that we could move to another world and communicate with other beings when they fell asleep.
Raphael describes the image of a religious dream in canvas abstract paintings, such as "The Dream of Jacob." Although it is a black abstract paintings, Jacob with the angels remains on a light background, which looks as if he was raised to heaven. Secondly, the stairs symbolize the ascent of the spirit and the path to transcendence.
Raphaël, The Dream of Jacob
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The Symbolism of Dreams
In the 19th century, symbolism took a dream as a basis. Symbolists tried to learn the secrets of the subconscious through various objects.
Odilon Redon was the leader of this direction. His abstract acrylic art, which he painted between 1879 and 1899, "Noirs," describes a world inhabited by monstrous, hybrid figures. As if from a nightmare: a spider with a face and an eye that flies.
As early as 1990, Odilon Redon returned to the theme of dreams in which he began to paint dim shapes and other relatively calm subjects.
Dream Painting in Surrealism
Around the surrealists were also those who drew dream arts: Salvador Dali, Max Ernst, and Paul Klee.
Man Ray is famous for photographs, which can be found in the echoes of his dreams, which he himself wrote about.
One of the examples of a dreamy abstract painting is "Broken Bridge," where the legs of a naked woman are bent as if the continuation of a bridge.
Man Ray, The Broken Bridge
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Dream Art and Modern Painting
The dream of art is such a theme that was invented and used cyclically during the entire development of art. Even today, there are many artists who use it as a basis for their oil canvas painting.
For example, thanks to Julie Lagier, various objects get a strange but exciting look. Inspiration comes to her through dreams, which she reinterprets in a hazy manner. Her photos look very strange but, at the same time, joyfully distorted. Which often creates an atmosphere that is incomprehensible to the outside eye.
Julie Lagier, La sortie
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In conclusion, artists will continue to amaze us with works in the genre of dream art. The dreams they have and the desire to create something incredible, unearthly. All this helps artists create very unusually whimsical paintings. Combine many motifs, such as personal and intimate, fantastic and nightmarish.