Artwork preview

Queen Katherine's Dream

William Blake

National Gallery of Art

This is a drawing featuring small, floating people ascending in a spiral, with one woman in the center, looking up at them. She is reclining on a couch or bed, and has her arms raised. She wears a pale blue dress and a white cloth over her long hair. The swirling figures emerge from the ground and rise upwards, creating a dynamic movement. They appear to be dancing, some holding instruments or baskets. Two of them appear to place a crown on the central woman. At the left and right edges of the bed are two seated figures who both appear to sleep in their chairs. On the left is a man with long white hair and a long white beard who wears a teal robe, and on the right is another woman who wears a yellow-green dress and has dark hair. Both of these people have their heads resting in their hands, with their elbows on the arms of their chair. The women and the floating people have blue-white skin, and the man on the left has pale peach skin.

Artwork Details

Date
c. 1825
Medium
pen and ink with watercolor heightened with white and gold over graphite
Dimensions
3488 × 4137 px
Public Domain
Yes
Museum Record
View original
Palette