The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of July 10, 2026

A vertically oriented woodcut in heavy black ink depicts a silhouetted man on horseback holding a long lance. Positioned in the lower left, he faces jagged, dark formations to the right. In the upper right, a circular sun emits sharp, angular rays across a turbulent sky. Deep gouges and visible woodgrain create high contrast throughout the rugged landscape. A central light path leads toward a distant horizontal line. Below, handwritten text includes: "Don Quixote."

Don Quixote Beheld the Sea

1923

Hans Alexander Mueller

(American, 1888–1962)
America
woodcut
Platemark: 39.5 x 30 cm (15 9/16 x 11 13/16 in.); Sheet: 43.2 x 13.6 cm (17 x 5 3/8 in.)
Gift of The Print Club of Cleveland 1950.419
Location: Not on view

Description

Don Quixote de la Mancha, a novel written by Miguel de Cervantes in the 1600s, tells the story of a man so fascinated with tales of valor that he decides to become a knight and search for adventures. It is a classic of world literature that has inspired numerous illustrators. Hans Alexander Müller showed Quixote as a simultaneously heroic and tragic figure in this image. Jagged edges and thick lines impart a dramatic quality, accentuated by the sunrays that shine on the knight like a spotlight. The dark silhouette emphasizes his isolation and yearning for a bygone era.
  • Fairy Tales and Fables: Illustration and Storytelling in Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (May 4-September 8, 2024).
  • {{cite web|title=Don Quixote Beheld the Sea|url=false|author=Hans Alexander Mueller|year=1923|access-date=10 July 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1950.419