A midsummer night’s dream (1868)

"A midsummer night’s dream" (1868) is a work by Hans Makart. Historical background, 1868: The later nineteenth century is the era of Impressionism, whose first group exhibition was held in Paris in 1874, followed by Post-Impressionism, Symbolism, and the Arts and Crafts movement. In the 1890s, colour lithography and Art Nouveau made the illustrated poster a celebrated art form. Mythology, a short history: Artists from the Renaissance to the Symbolists returned to myth to explore love, power, fate, and transformation. Mythological painting draws on stories from Greek and Roman myth, and on other traditions such as Norse, Celtic, and Hindu narrative. The catalogue places it in Mythology. The format is landscape.

On onlly.art "A midsummer night’s dream" is sold as a digital download (Digital JPEG + PDF files, 300 DPI). The files are delivered by email after payment, so nothing is shipped: you print locally, choosing the paper, size, and frame yourself. A landscape format suits wide, low wall spaces such as the stretch above a bed, mantel, or sideboard. Mythological scenes add narrative depth and historical atmosphere, which helps them work as a central accent in classic as well as eclectic spaces. Before printing, compare the proportions of the file with your frame so that nothing important is cropped. Screens and printers render colour differently, so a small test print is a sensible way to check tones before committing to a large size. Hang the print away from direct sunlight, which over the years can fade any printed colour. Choosing a standard frame size and printing to fit it often saves the cost of custom framing.

Austrian, 1840–1884

If you like the visual language of Hans Makart, explore more works by the same artist in our collection.