In Dreams II 

Joseph Lorusso painted "In Dreams II", an undated piece, with what seems to be a sensitivity towards both the subject and the medium. This painting engages with the classic theme of childhood innocence, but it does so through the lens of contemporary portraiture. Lorusso captures a child in repose, her red curls a halo around her face, fostering a sense of vulnerability. This representation invites reflection on how society constructs ideas of youth, femininity, and vulnerability. The artist's choice of a seemingly unguarded moment prompts questions about privacy, representation, and the gaze. Lorusso's work is aligned with the tradition of paintings that romanticize childhood, yet it also subtly acknowledges the complexities inherent in such representations. There’s an underlying tension, a quiet acknowledgement of the external world from which the child is temporarily sheltered. The painting seems to gently ask us to consider how we project our desires and fears onto the image of a sleeping child, and how that shapes our understanding of innocence and identity.