Dreams

By 1911 Heinrich Vogeler had moved through his peak Jugendstil period and was beginning to encounter the social and political pressures that would eventually transform him into a committed socialist. 'Dreams' was a characteristic Vogeler subject — the inner world of contemplation and reverie had defined his work at the Worpswede colony and especially the paintings of his companion Martha. But by 1911 a strain of uncertainty had entered his imagery; the dream-state was no longer simply beautiful but carried a suggestion of yearning and unresolved longing. The Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, which holds this work, has one of Germany's most important collections of early twentieth-century German painting, and Vogeler's presence there confirms his significance within that tradition. The canvas documents a transitional moment in his career, between the enchanted pastoral world he had constructed and the political awakening that the coming war would accelerate.

Vogeler's paint handling in this period retains the refined linear quality of his Jugendstil work but allows a slightly looser atmospheric treatment in backgrounds and drapery. Colour is harmonious and low in saturation, favouring the pearlescent tonalities associated with north German Symbolism. Figures are rendered with the gentle idealization characteristic of his mature style.