"Die cis-Moll-Sonate von Beethoven" oder "Beethoven und die Blinde" - Holzstich von M. Müller

According to a popular anecdote that circulated in the 19th century, Beethoven wrote his Moonlight sonata for piano in C sharp minor, op. 27, when playing the piano for a blind girl at night. Thus the sonata was called Moonlight sonata.

This anecdote was particularly popular at the end of the 19th century and was a frequent topic for painters and graphic artists. Regarding the depiction of the interior and the clothing, the shown woodcarving from Müller clearly follows the oldest version of the anecdote, according to which the sonata was written by the young Beethoven in Bonn. The work not only features Beethoven and the girl but also the girl's brother - a shoemaker. The moonlight and the composer, however, seem less important.(S.B.)