The Wish Print, Theodor von Holst 1840 Dark Romanticism Wall Art, Femme Fatale Poster

"'Could you not drink her gaze like wine?' Rossetti asked the question of a woman who never looks away.

A fine art print of The Wish by Theodor von Holst, dark romanticism wall art for a dark academia study.

ABOUT THE PAINTING
Theodor von Holst painted The Wish in 1840. A richly dressed woman sits at a lamp-lit table, dealing out playing cards. Look closely at her hands. Her rings catch the light, and her gaze never leaves you. She seems to know the outcome before the last card falls.

Von Holst was a London painter of German descent, encouraged as a young student by Henry Fuseli, the painter of The Nightmare. He died in 1844, aged 34. Years later, the young Dante Gabriel Rossetti saw The Wish in Lord Northwick's collection and wrote his poem The Card-Dealer about her. The painting later belonged to the art critic Brian Sewell and now hangs in the Yale Center for British Art.

THE LOOK
Lamplight glowing against deep shadow, rich fabrics and the glint of jewelled rings. Mysterious, intimate and quietly hypnotic. Moody wall art and a femme fatale for a dark academia study, a goth bedroom or a reading room.

THE PRINT
A fine art reproduction of the original painting on 240gsm matte paper. Rich colour, no glare.

Sizes: A5, A4, A3, A2, A1, plus 12x16, 18x24 and 24x36 inches. Custom sizes on request. Frames: black, white or oak, or unframed.

Printed locally in the UK, Europe, the US, Canada and Australia, at the location closest to you. Free tracked shipping, no customs fees.

Please note: each print is reproduced from a museum photograph of the original painting. Larger sizes show the canvas weave, brushwork and age cracks up close, details not visible in these photos or smaller prints. Like the painting itself, it is best viewed from a short distance.

GIFTING
A mysterious gift for a birthday, an anniversary or a new home. A painting with a poem behind it.

MORE
More from Fuseli's circle: The Nightmare by Henry Fuseli in our Dark Romanticism Art collection. For more Rossetti, see Joan of Arc by Dante Gabriel Rossetti. For another woman who reads the future, see The Crystal Ball by John William Waterhouse."

REAL ART, NOT AI
Every print in our shop starts with a real painting from a museum collection or public archive. We research each work and prepare the file for print. We never sell AI-generated art.

PRINT QUALITY
240gsm matte paper. Archival, fade-resistant inks. Sharp detail and deep colour.

SIZES
A5: 148 x 210 mm (5.8 x 8.3 in)
A4: 210 x 297 mm (8.3 x 11.7 in)
A3: 297 x 420 mm (11.7 x 16.5 in)
A2: 420 x 594 mm (16.5 x 23.4 in)
A1: 594 x 841 mm (23.4 x 33.1 in)
12 x 16 in (30 x 40 cm)
18 x 24 in (45 x 60 cm)
24 x 36 in (60 x 90 cm)
Need a size to fit an existing frame? Message us for a custom print.

FRAMING
Unframed, or framed and ready to hang. Frames in black, white and oak.

DELIVERY
Unframed prints ship rolled in a postal tube. Framed prints ship flat and protected. Every order ships tracked to the UK, US, EU, Canada, Australia and worldwide.

QUESTIONS
Message us about sizing, framing or custom orders. We reply within a few hours.