Rumpelstiltskin Appearing to the Miller's Daughter
early 19th century
Medium
Pen and black ink, brown wash, over graphite
Dimensions
sheet: 4 1/8 x 3 1/8 in. (10.4 x 7.9 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Ian Woodner Family Collection Fund, 2010
Accession Number
2010.390
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the early 19th century, artist Gustav Heinrich Naeke a pivotal moment from the Brothers Grimm fairy tale *Rumpelstiltskin* in this intimate drawing, *Rumpelstiltskin Appearing to the Miller Daughter*. Created around the time the Grimms published their famous 1812 collection of folktales, the work depicts the mischievous imp confronting the desperate young woman tasked with spinning straw into gold—a nod to the era's Romantic fascination with folklore, magic, and moral lessons. Naeke, known for his delicate miniature scenes, brings the tension of the story to life on a tiny sheet, emphasizin...