Henry Fuseli (1741-1825)

Johann Heinrich Füssli was born in Zurich. In England he read theology intending to become a priest (he studied in London, where he befriended Joshua Reynolds), but the travels to Italy, where he spent eight years understanding the atmosphere of the recently uncovered ruins and the masterworks of Michelangelo, lead him to paint subjects around the imaginary, the Gothic and the horrible. Returning to England, he exhibited a number of works of a grotesque and visionary quality, including the famous Nightmare (1782). He absorbed the essence of the dream-like universe he found in the works of Shakespeare, Weiland, and Milton. He was one of the key precursors of Symbolism and Surrealism, as he presented the macabre, the world of the sub-conscious and dreams. His romantic spirit is easily recognizable in his eccentricity and his sign of "unconscious" rebellion against neo-classical purity. Finally, his drawings, of which he left over 800, further reveal his romantic appeal for the terrifying and weird. Fuseli admired and encouraged William Blake.

Works

The Nightmare. 1782; Oil on canvas; 127 x 102 cm. Detroit Institute of the Arts, Detroit, USA
The Three Witches. 1782-83; Oil on canvas; 65 x 91.5 cm Kunsthaus, Zurich, Switzerland
Lady Macbeth. 1784; Oil on canvas. Louvre, Paris, France