Sweet Dreams 

Hans Zatzka created this painting "Sweet Dreams," filled with imagery that pulls from our collective memory. Here, we see a woman resting, watched over by cupids, symbols of love and desire since the Hellenistic period. These figures, derived from Eros, remind us of the potent forces of attraction that shape our human experience. One cupid reads, perhaps reciting tales of love, while others frolic, embodying the playful, often chaotic nature of affection. The moon, a sliver in the sky, is an ancient symbol of the feminine, of intuition and the subconscious. It invites us to reflect on the cyclical nature of life and the hidden depths within us. We see this motif echoed through history, from its veneration in ancient lunar cults to its appearance in Romantic poetry. The scene evokes a dreamlike state, tapping into the subconscious, reminding us that these images resonate because they speak to our deepest desires and fears, emotions passed down through generations.