France, 19th century / 1874
A Eunuch's Dream
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs A Eunuch's Dream as painting (France, 19th century · 1874).
Much of Jean Lecomte du Nouÿ's artwork was inspired by travelling to Egypt as a young man.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this painting as oil on wood and credits Jean Lecomte du Nouÿ (French, 1842–1923).
The museum's collection notes: This painting, inspired by Charles Montesquieu's Persian Letters (published in 1721), depicts a eunuch who wanted to marry a harem slave. He experienced a vision of her while smoking his opium pipe, but her little companion holding a knife dripping with blood reminds us that the eunuch's anatomy precludes the fulfillment of his dream. The outline of a hand next to the signature is a khamsa, a symbol used to ward off evil.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtA Eunuch's DreamOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.