Titania und Bottom in der Gestalt des Esels c. 1867

Victor Müller sketched Titania and Bottom in the guise of an ass, capturing a pivotal scene from Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream." The ass, a symbol laden with ambiguity, represents both foolishness and primal instinct. Consider Apuleius' "The Golden Ass," where transformation into an ass leads to enlightenment through degradation. This motif echoes in folklore across cultures, where animals embody human traits, desires, and fears. The ass here is not merely a beast but a vessel of metamorphosis, a mirror reflecting our basest selves. The story of Titania is an exploration of the irrationality of love; this resonates with ancient myths where passion blurs the line between the human and animal. The recurring theme of transformation, of the animal within, is a powerful force engaging viewers on a deep, subconscious level. These resurfaced symbols, these echoes of the past, remind us that history is not linear but a cyclical dance of recurring motifs, each performance colored by its time.