author
Henry Fuseli
1741–1825
Best known for the haunting power of The Nightmare, this Swiss-born artist helped shape the darker, more imaginative side of Romantic art. He brought Shakespeare, Milton, and classical myth to life in pictures full of drama, mystery, and emotion.
4 Audiobooks
The Life and Writings of Henry Fuseli, Volume 2 (of 3)
by Henry Fuseli
Lectures on painting, delivered at the Royal Academy : With additional observations and notes
by Henry Fuseli
The Life and Writings of Henry Fuseli, Volume 3 (of 3)
by Henry Fuseli
The Life and Writings of Henry Fuseli, Volume 1 (of 3)
by Henry Fuseli
About the author
Born in Zürich in 1741 as Johann Heinrich Füssli, he was raised in an educated, artistic family and first studied theology before turning toward art. After leaving Switzerland, he settled in Britain, where he became known as Henry Fuseli and built the career for which he is remembered.
His paintings and drawings are famous for their intense energy, strange beauty, and love of the supernatural. Literary subjects mattered deeply to him: Shakespeare, Milton, and ancient myth gave him material for scenes packed with tension, dream imagery, and bold invention. The Nightmare became his most famous work and remains one of the best-known images associated with early Romanticism.
Fuseli was more than a painter. He also wrote about art and became an important figure at the Royal Academy in London, where he later served as professor and keeper. He died in 1825, leaving behind work that still feels vivid, unsettling, and startlingly modern.