Titania and Bottom c. 1867

Victor Müller created this delicate pencil sketch, Titania and Bottom. The medium invites us to consider the work as a preparatory study, perhaps for a more elaborate painting. Yet the sketch has its own unique qualities, born of its directness and immediacy. Lines flow loosely across the paper, capturing the ethereal nature of the scene from Shakespeare’s *A Midsummer Night’s Dream*. The graphite creates a range of tones and textures, from soft shadows to sharp contours. Müller skillfully uses the pencil to suggest depth and movement, particularly in Titania’s flowing hair. The very nature of the pencil lines, light and provisional, echoes the dreamlike quality of the play. This work invites us to appreciate the artistry inherent in the act of drawing itself, a practice often seen as subordinate to the "high art" of painting. Yet here, the humble pencil brings to life a magical, and ultimately very human, encounter.