Le Rêve ou Nymphe endormie (vers 1896-1900)

As Henner had a tendency to return to the same subjects, sometimes years later, it is frequently difficult to identify a painting like this one, without a title given by the painter. It can nevertheless be compared with Sleeping Nymph, exhibited at the Cercle Volney in 1896, or Dream exhibited at the Salon of 1900. This work contains the characteristic features that earned Henner his success but also attracted criticism due to a certain facility: a red-haired nude woman with a very white complexion in a landscape typical of Sundgau, invariably featuring bushes, a small pond, a hill and the sky at sunset. Although inspired by the bucolic poetry of Antique literature, Henner’s idyllic landscapes are in reality those of his native region.