The Dream of Saint Joseph (La Tour) explained

The Dream of Saint Joseph
Artist:Georges de La Tour
Year:ca. 1628–1645
Type:oil on canvas
Height Metric:93
Width Metric:81
Metric Unit:cm
Imperial Unit:in
Museum:Musée d'Arts de Nantes
City:Nantes, France

The Dream of Saint Joseph is an oil-on-canvas painting created between 1628 and 1645 by the French Baroque painter Georges de La Tour which is now in the collection of the Musée d'Arts de Nantes.[1]

The painting depicts Saint Joseph, the father of Jesus, being visited while dreaming by either an angel with a message or a young girl after falling asleep while reading a book.[2] [3] According to the New Testament he was actually visited four times with various messages and it is not clear in this case which visit is being portrayed. It is most likely to represent the second visit in which Joseph is advised to leave Bethlehem and seek sanctuary for the Holy Family in Egypt.

Typical of many of de La Tour's works, a chiaroscuro effect is achieved by lighting the scene with a candle.

See also

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Web site: L'Apparition de l'ange à saint Joseph dit aussi Le Songe de saint Joseph. Musée d'Arts de Nantes. 11 July 2020. 18 April 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210418095312/https://museedartsdenantes.nantesmetropole.fr/en/home/au-cur-du-musee/les-collections/toutes-les-collections.html. dead.
  2. https://aleteia.org/2017/12/21/a-closer-look-at-saint-josephs-dream-by-georges-de-la-tour/ Aleteia article, December 17, 2017
  3. https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/great-works/de-la-tour-georges-the-dream-of-st-joseph-c1640-795301.html Independent, October 6, 2006