The Sleeping Gypsy

1897

Oil on canvas, 129.5 × 200.7 cm. The Museum of Modern Art, New York

Under a full moon, a lion stands over a figure asleep in the desert. A mandolin and a water jug lie beside her on the sand.

Nothing happens here, and nothing is explained. MoMA's essay treats the picture as another of his dreams, one that feels lovely and menacing at the same time.
It was first shown at the Salon des Indépendants.
Look at her dress: bands of many bright colors run along its length.
The sleeper lies flat along the front of the picture, parallel to its surface.
It came to MoMA in 1939, a gift of Mrs. Simon Guggenheim.

Romani people were widely thought in France to trace their roots to Egypt, a belief carried by his word for the sleeper, bohémienne. A fascination with North Africa shaped the desert setting.

Image: Wikimedia Commons · PD-Art