Don Quixote 1950

Hans Alexander Mueller created this woodcut of Don Quixote. Mueller, working in the early to mid-20th century, came of age in a period of rapid social and political change, marked by the aftermath of World War I and the rise of modernism. Mueller’s Don Quixote is depicted as a man consumed by his imagination. We find him here surrounded by books, his gaze fixed on a distant castle which seems to arise from the pages he reads. This image captures the essence of Cervantes’ character who blurred the line between reality and fantasy. We can consider how this blurring is also a theme in the artist's life. Mueller came to the US as a refugee from Nazi Germany, becoming an influential educator. Through this piece, we are reminded of the power of stories to shape our perceptions and to offer solace in times of uncertainty. What does it mean to escape into a world of fantasy, and what does it mean when that fantasy collides with reality?