The King riding off with the dumb maiden (1872)
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In Hans Christian Anderson's classic fairy tale The Wild Swans, Eliza sets out to rescue her eleven brothers who have been turned into swans by their stepmother; a wicked witch. Appearing in a dream, a fairy tells Eliza that she can break the spell by weaving stinging nettles into coats for each of her brothers, but she must not utter a word until the task is completed.
In this beautiful illustration by Eleanor Vere Boyle (1825 to 1916), we see the King who has fallen in love with the sorrowful and silent Eliza, riding home to his castle.
Location: Anderson, Hans. Christian. (1872) Fairy Tales. London: Sampson Low, Marston, Low and Searle. Parker Collection AQ087.1/1872
