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Rip Van Winkle
John Quidor (American, 1801–1881)
1829
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Classification
- Painting
- Dimensions
- 69.9 × 87.3 cm (27 1/2 × 34 3/8 in.)
- Culture
- United States
- Museum
- Art Institute of Chicago, Arts of the Americas
- Credit line
- George F. Harding Collection
- Rights
- Public domain (CC0), as the museum states it.
- Who can see it
- Tweens profiles and older: its subjects are known and suit older children. How works are placed
View at the Art Institute of Chicago
About this work
One of the most original literary painters of the mid-19th century, John Quidor frequently drew on the popular tales of the American author Washington Irving, interpreting them with great imagination and a genuine flair for drama. Quidor’s Rip Van Winkle depicts the moment that Rip, awake after his 20-year sleep in the Catskill Mountains, confronts the suspicious townsfolk who do not recognize their long-lost neighbor. Unlike many portrayals of Rip Van Winkle that emphasize his age and confusion, Quidor’s version casts Rip as strong and defiant. Gesturing forcefully at his son (who is slumped against a tree), Rip acts to regain his sense of belonging in a now-unfamiliar world.
Description © Art Institute of Chicago, CC BY 4.0
