Rip Van Winkle asleep
1864
Imagine sleeping so soundly you miss an entire war—that's exactly what's happening here with the legendary Rip Van Winkle. Felix Octavius Carr Darley captures the moment Rip dozes off in the Catskill Mountains, his long beard flowing and his musket resting beside him, completely unaware that twenty years are about to pass. He's slumped in the grass with a feathered hat, looking like a man who had one too many drinks with the ghosts of Henry Hudson's crew. This 1864 illustration brings Washington Irving's famous folk tale to life, freezing the peaceful moment before Rip wakes up to a world he no longer recognizes.