Artwork Information

Oberon and Titania, King and Queen of the Fairies, are locked in a dispute over a boy whom Titania has adopted. Oberon sprinkles a magic potion in the Queen's eyes as she sleeps, and when she awakes she falls in love with Bottom the weaver, who has been given the head of an ass. He gives orders to Mustardseed, the tiny figure that stands on his upturned palm. These engravings denote Fuseli's interest in entomology. The invention of the microscope meant that creatures could be depicted accurately, whatever their scale. (Monsters and Maidens, 2004)