The artwork titled “The Dreaming Boys” by Oskar Kokoschka, created in 1908, is a lithography on paper representative of the Naïve Art (Primitivism) movement. Measuring 29.5 x 24.1 cm, this nude painting (nu) is housed at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh, UK.
The artwork features two nude male figures, positioned amid a dreamlike landscape. The setting is characterized by stylized foliage, abstract topographical features, and whimsical elements such as vivid fauna. The figures appear to be enmeshed within large outcroppings or enclosures that contrast against a crimson river-like formation flowing between them. Surrounding the figures are various simplified plants and birds, rendered in bold lines and a bright color palette typical of Naïve Art. The visual narrative suggests a surreal, symbolic exploration of human vulnerability and natural harmony.