Henry Fuseli

Füssli, Johann Heinrich

Swiss, 1741 - 1825

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Swiss born British painter, draughtsman and writer on art (1741-1825)

Explore Selected Works

Henry Fuseli, An Intimate Concert, 1814, graphite on laid paper, William B. O'Neal Fund, 2015.71.1

An Intimate Concert

Henry Fuseli · 1814 · graphite on laid paper ·  Accession ID  2015.71.1

Henry Fuseli, The Rape of Ganymede, 1804, crayon lithograph on wove paper, Rosenwald Collection, 1947.7.111

The Rape of Ganymede

Henry Fuseli · 1804 · crayon lithograph on wove paper ·  Accession ID  1947.7.111

Henry Fuseli, A Woman Sitting by the Window, 1802, pen-and-tusche lithograph, Rosenwald Collection, 1947.7.140

A Woman Sitting by the Window

Henry Fuseli · 1802 · pen-and-tusche lithograph ·  Accession ID  1947.7.140

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Shakespeare, Tempest, Act I, Scene II

Pierre Simon II, Henry Fuseli, John Boydell, Josiah Boydell · 1797 · etching and engraving with stipple on wove paper ·  Accession ID  2017.53.31

From below, we look up at a nude, muscular man striding from one dark gray boulder to another against a mist-gray background in this vertical drawing. The man’s left knee, to our right, is bent as he leans onto that leg. His other leg is stretched behind him so the foot reaches into the lower left corner of the sheet. The man holds his right arm, to our left, high with his fingers outstretched, and he turns his head to look in that direction. The background is mostly washes of muted, nickel gray with a lighter, fog-gray washes in the bottom left quadrant. The man’s body is outlined lightly in graphite and chalk and shaded with pale peachy tan. The sheet has a discolored crease across the middle.
Henry Fuseli, Satan Defying the Powers of Heaven, late 1790s, graphite, black chalk, and gray wash, Purchased as the Gift of Andrea Woodner, 2015.10.1.b

Satan Defying the Powers of Heaven

Henry Fuseli · late 1790s · graphite, black chalk, and gray wash ·  Accession ID  2015.10.1.b

From below, we look up at a nude, muscular man striding from one dark gray boulder to another against a mist-gray background in this vertical drawing. The man’s right knee, to our left, is bent as he leans onto that leg. His other leg is stretched behind him so the foot reaches into the lower right corner of the sheet. The man holds his left arm, to our right, high with that hand in a fist, and he turns his head to look in that direction. A white drapery swirls up and behind the man’s shoulders. The background is mostly washes of muted, slate gray with a darker flint-gray area to the left. The man’s body is outlined lightly in graphite and chalk and more lines create a loose, angular grid across the background. The sheet has a crease across its middle.
Henry Fuseli, Satan Defying the Powers of Heaven, late 1790s, graphite, black chalk, and brown and gray wash on laid paper, Purchased as the Gift of Andrea Woodner, 2015.10.1.a

Satan Defying the Powers of Heaven

Henry Fuseli · late 1790s · graphite, black chalk, and brown and gray wash on laid paper ·  Accession ID  2015.10.1.a

The bodies of four people are locked together through dramatic gestures and poses against a dark background in this nearly square painting. The two men have pale, peachy skin and the two women have ash-white skin, and together they almost fill the composition. A man with a white beard and hair wears a short-sleeved brown garment and sits to the right of center. His body faces our left and both of his arms reach straight out at shoulder height. His head juts forward and his bulging eyes appear white. He points at a younger man kneeling in front of him with his left hand. Near the left edge of the canvas, the younger man’s body also faces our left as he kneels on his left knee. His body leans forward over his right knee, which is bent so that foot is flat on the ground. His head is thrown back and his right hand, on our left, crosses his body and is raised as if to shield his face. His other arm extends so the raised flat of his hand is close to the old man’s face. The young man has dark hair and wears a tight-fitting, short-sleeved, golden yellow tunic. One woman with long blond hair rests her hands and leans her forehead onto the old man’s knee in the lower right corner. The second woman stands behind the pair of men with her arms spread wide so one hand reaches over the shoulder of the old man, and her other hand nearly touches the younger man’s head. She has long, curly brown hair, and she looks at the older man with her lips parted. Both women wear white and pale gray garments. There is the suggestion of blue sky beyond some trees along the left edge of the composition but the rest of the background is deep in shadow.
Henry Fuseli, Oedipus Cursing His Son Polynices, 1786, oil on canvas, Paul Mellon Collection, 1983.1.41

Oedipus Cursing His Son Polynices

Henry Fuseli · 1786 · oil on canvas ·  Accession ID  1983.1.41

Henry Fuseli, Midnight, 1765, pen and brown ink with brown wash on laid paper, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund, 1971.66.3

Midnight

Henry Fuseli · 1765 · pen and brown ink with brown wash on laid paper ·  Accession ID  1971.66.3

Bibliography

1831

  • Knowles, John. The Life and Writings of Henry Fuseli. 3 vols. London, 1831.

1951

  • Powell, Nicolas. The Drawings of Henry Fuseli. London, 1951.

1956

  • Antal, Frederick. Fuseli Studies. London, 1956.

1972

  • Tomory, Peter. The Life and Art of Henry Fuseli. London, 1972.

1973

  • Schiff, Gert. Johann Heinrich Füssli 1741-1825. 2 vols. Zürich, 1973.

1975

  • Schiff, Gert. Henry Fuseli 1741-1825. Exh. cat. Kunsthalle, Hamburg; Tate Gallery, London; Petit Palais, Paris. London, 1975.

1979

  • Pressly, Nancy L. The Fuseli Circle in Rome. Exh. cat. Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, Connecticut, 1979.

1992

  • Hayes, John. British Paintings of the Sixteenth through Nineteenth Centuries. The Collections of the National Gallery of Art Systematic Catalogue. Washington, D.C., 1992: 74-75.