About this artwork

Oberon and Titania stand reunited and are about to resolve the magically induced confusion between the two human lovers shown sleeping apart. Paton painted this as a sequel to his diploma picture of the fairy rulers' quarrel (in the Royal Scottish Academy collection) and again based it on the parallel episode in Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream. This painting of the reconciliation won a prize in the competition for the decoration of the new Houses of Parliament in 1847. It could be interpreted as an allegory of harmonious government. In 1849 Paton painted a second version of ‘The Quarrel of Oberon and Titania’ which is also in the National Galleries of Scotland collection.

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Updated before 2020

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Sir Joseph Noel Paton

Sir Joseph Noel Paton