The broken dream - Adolf Gudfast (Gotthard) Werner (1837-1903)

In this enchanting painting by Adolf Gudfast (Gotthard) Werner, entitled "The Broken Dream", a young shepherd rests melancholically beside his faithful dog, facing a broken vase from Greek antiquity.
Cupid, recognizable by his wings and bow, stands nearby, accompanied by Sappho, the Greek poetess, and Euterpe, the muse of music. Bacchus, identifiable by his Thyrse and the ivy he holds, also emerges in the scene, followed by satyrs and nymphs, evoking a divine Greek world. This work captures the essence of the broken dream through a symbolic composition rich in mythology and emotion.


Adolf Gudfast (Gotthard) Werner, born December 4, 1837 in Linköping, died February 20, 1903 in Rome, was a Swedish caricaturist and history painter.
He was the son of physician Henrik Werner and Ida Werner, née Gradman. His father, a regimental physician in Linköping, died in 1849, and his mother moved to Stockholm when he began his art studies. From 1857 to 1861, he studied at the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts, where Georg von Rosen (a friend of Edouard Manet) was one of his fellow students.
While at the Académie, he was awarded the Meyerska Medal in 1859. In 1861, he moved at his own expense to Antwerp, where he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts. From Antwerp, he moved with his mother to Paris, where he studied with Émile Signol.
He then traveled to the south of France and Italy, where he nourished his palette with colors and shimmering lights inspired by Mediterranean landscapes.
In 1866, he moved to Seville, then to Rome in 1869, where he studied High Renaissance decorative painting.
In 1870, Queen Josefina awarded him a travel grant, enabling him to explore Europe.
Through Georg von Rosen, he was commissioned to paint a series of pictures for the Bolinder house in Stockholm, and returned to Sweden in 1876 to fulfill the order.
He continued his travels, spending 1881 in Florence and the following autumn in Bologna.
He returned to Sweden in 1883 to take part in a competition to decorate a mural in the vestibule of the National Museum. He settled for a time in Kalmar, but after receiving a prize for his proposal, he went to Egypt in 1884.After a few brief returns to Sweden, he remained in Italy until his death. He became a member of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in 1868 and took part in the Academy's exhibitions in 1866, 1868 and 1877.
He took part in the Paris Universal Exhibition in 1889 and the Swedish Artists' Association Exhibition in Stockholm in 1898. A commemorative exhibition was organized by the Artists' Association in Stockholm in 1904. His work consists of religious motifs and history paintings.
Museums:
Stockholm National Museum Gothenburg Museum
Stockholm Royal Palace Norrköping Museum of Fine Arts Östergötland Museum
Värmland Museum.



Oil on canvas
Signed and dated in Roman numerals: Werner 1873 Lower right