The Spanish Girl in Reverie

Washington Allston

1831 · Oil on canvas · The American Wing

When Allston first exhibited this painting at the Boston Athenaeum in 1831, he also displayed his poem that inspired the composition. It told the romantic story of "Sweet Inez," who awaits the return of her lover, Isidore, from war. Allston’s portrayal of the figure is ethereal and luminous, revealing yearning, hope, and fear. Alone in a dramatic setting, she is caught in a moment of reverie. The artist’s approach to the landscape attracted great interest due to its delicate atmospheric effects, created through the meticulous application of glazings of diaphanous color.

Artist

Washington Allston

Date

1831

Medium

Oil on canvas

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Gift of Lyman G. Bloomingdale, 1901