The Reconciliation of Oberon and Titania

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 in the Scottish National Gallery collection.