Scene from A Midsummer Night's Dream

The painting depicts a scene from the third act of William Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream.

It was one of several paintings of scenes from works by Shakespeare commissioned by Isambard Kingdom Brunel in 1847 to decorate the dining room of his house in London.

Brunel left the choice of subject to the artists, and Landseer may have chosen this scene so he could include several animals.

After the death of Pelham-Clinton, it was acquired by Adelbert Brownlow-Cust, 3rd Earl Brownlow, and later sold to Sir William Quilter, 1st Baronet.

After Lowenfeld's death in 1931, his widow sold the painting to the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne (funded from the Felton Bequest) where it remains today.