Titania, Puck and the Changeling from Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream"

Titania, Queen of the Fairies, has stolen the baby from an 'Indian king'. The boy's birth on a beach may explain George Romney's setting, with three characters placed against a sky full of fairies. Puck, a sprite, tries to 'bind his feet in flowery fetters'. Romney's choice as the model for Titania is Emma Hamilton. She had long been the artist's muse, having first sat for him for a portrait in 1782. She was later famous for being the mistress of Admiral Nelson. The warm palette and sketchy technique, typical of Romney's later work, enhance the sense of allure.