“The Day Dream,” an artwork by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, created in 1878, is a notable example of the Romanticism art movement. Executed in chalk, this sketch and study measures 104.8 by 76.8 cm and is held at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, UK.
The artwork depicts a contemplative figure, elegantly captured in a pensive pose, seemingly entranced by a distant thought. The soft, delicate strokes of chalk render a serene and ethereal atmosphere, characteristic of Rossetti’s style. The subject’s posture, with one arm raised and the other resting on a surface beside what appears to be an open book, suggests an introspective moment. The background features faint, dream-like trees, enhancing the sense of daydreaming tranquility. The overall composition exemplifies the Romantic fascination with beauty, emotion, and the inner life of the individual.
