The Dream, Charles Rain

Charles Rain (1911-1985)

The Dream signed "Rain" (lower right) – signed and dated "C.Rain/Jan. 1951, New York" and titled (on the reverse).

Oil on Masonite (52 x 40 cm).

Charles Whedon Rain is known for his meticulous, haunting, magical realist scenes. Born in Knoxville, he moved to Nebraska as a child and discovered a love of art early on. He traveled frequently to Europe and was deeply influenced by Italian Renaissance painters. He particularly admired Agnolo Bronzino (1503-1572), who used glazing and underpainting techniques to create paintings where the brushwork is almost invisible. Rain adopted a similar technique, often using brushes with only two or three hairs. As a result, he produced few works and often spent up to six months on a single painting. His subjects included everyday objects arranged in strange, oddly lit groups, as in The Magic Hand, and dreamlike scenes like Eclipse and Procession. Rather than telling a specific story, Rain preferred the viewer to interpret his paintings in their own way.