Leontes erblickt die Statue Hermiones c. 1868 - 1871

Victor Müller made this pencil drawing, Leontes erblickt die Statue Hermiones, in Germany, sometime in the 19th century. It depicts a scene from Shakespeare's play "The Winter's Tale," where King Leontes is confronted with a statue of his supposedly dead wife, Hermione. The sketch captures a moment of dramatic tension and potential redemption, but it also hints at the social dynamics of 19th-century Europe. The focus on classical and literary themes, like Shakespeare, was part of a broader cultural movement known as historicism, which sought to legitimize contemporary social norms by reference to the past. Art institutions played a crucial role, promoting these ideals through exhibitions, teaching, and commissions. Müller's drawing, in its engagement with a classic play, speaks to that cultural project. To truly understand its place in the art world, we might look at exhibition records, biographies of the artist, and also at the relationship between art and theater in Germany at the time. Such research reminds us that art never exists in a vacuum.