_Ach armes Kind! er ist kaum zu erkennen!_ Maximiliane von Blittersdorf geb. Brentano und ihr Sohn Ludwig, krank an den Röteln (als Forelle) 

This sketch, by Moritz von Schwind, captures a poignant domestic scene with graphite on paper. Dominating the composition is a child lying ill in bed, face obscured by a polka-dot cloth, while a woman sits upright in the background. The use of line is delicate, creating soft, almost ethereal forms. Schwind masterfully uses line and shading to create a contrast between the stillness of the sick child and the alert presence of the mother. There's a sense of unease, almost gothic, in the depiction of illness, which destabilizes the sentimentality typically associated with domestic scenes. The precise rendering of the figures against the emptiness evokes deeper questions about vulnerability and the fragility of life. The sketch invites ongoing interpretation; its formal qualities serve as both an aesthetic expression and a cultural commentary on domesticity, illness, and emotional fragility.