The Dream of Ossian

Ingres's The Dream of Ossian of 1813 depicts the blind Celtic bard Ossian — whose 'ancient' poems were actually forged by James Macpherson in the 1760s but became foundational texts of European Romanticism — surrounded by the ghostly warriors and maidens of his imagined ancient Celtic world. Napoleon had particularly admired the Ossianic poems, and Ingres was commissioned to paint the ceiling decoration for the Emperor's bedroom at Monte Cavallo in Rome. The painting demonstrates Ingres's willingness to engage with Romantic literary subject matter despite his theoretical allegiance to classical tradition.

The ethereal figures of Ossian's ghostly warriors float in a misty, dreamlike composition unusual for Ingres's typically linear style. The cool blue-grey palette and soft modeling create an otherworldly atmosphere suited to the nocturnal subject.