A Dream (Un rêve) from Ten Etchings for Aurélia (10 Eaux-fortes pour Aurélia) by Gérard de Nerval
Louis Marcoussis
Polish, 1883–1941
1931
An etching in which Louis Marcoussis translates Gérard de Nerval’s dream material into a compact, abstract composition of intersecting planes and stair‑like forms, aiming to make the logic of a dream visible through a Cubist-inflected print.
You first notice a tumble of angular, cross‑hatched shapes—ramps, steps and a dark circular void—arranged in shallow, shifting perspective so the image feels both architectural and disorientingly nocturnal.
Made for a suite illustrating Aurélia, this print shows how modern printmakers carried Cubist fragmentation into literary and surreal territories, helping to visualize interior, psychological spaces in a reproducible medium.
Medium
One from a portfolio of ten etchings
Dimensions
plate: 6 7/8 x 5 1/4" (17.5 x 13.4 cm); sheet: 10 3/16 x 7 15/16" (25.8 x 20.2 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Mr. and Mrs. E. Powis Jones Fund
Accession
1373.1968.1
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
