Schiller's crowing c. 1859

Victor Müller created this ink drawing, titled "Schiller's Crowning," to celebrate the legacy of the celebrated German poet. The imagery here draws from the cultural veneration of literary figures in 19th-century Europe, but what does it tell us about the politics of admiration? Here, we see Schiller being crowned by a female allegorical figure, while a crowd of ordinary people clamor for a glimpse of the celebrated poet. Müller uses an established visual language of heroism and reverence, yet complicates it by including the common man. Think about how monuments are raised, and who gets memorialized in public spaces. "Schiller's Crowning" asks us to consider the social dynamics of fame and artistic legacy: who gets to be a hero, and who does the celebrating? This drawing offers not just an idealized portrait of a poet, but also poses questions about the construction of cultural icons and the public’s role in that process.