Henry Fuseli

Raised in Zürich in an educated, artistic family, Henry Fuseli first studied theology before turning toward art. After leaving Switzerland, he settled in Britain, where he built a career as a painter, draughtsman, writer on art, and later a leading figure at the Royal Academy.

His work stands out for its intense emotion, dramatic poses, and fascination with literature, mythology, and the supernatural. Shakespeare, Milton, and classical legend all fed his imagination, and paintings such as The Nightmare helped make him one of the most original and unsettling artists of his era.

Fuseli spent much of his working life in London and became known not just for his pictures but for his lectures and ideas about painting. Today he is remembered as a distinctive bridge between Neoclassicism and Romanticism, admired for art that feels strange, vivid, and unforgettable.