Dante Swoons before the Soaring Souls of Paolo and Francesca, Virgil at his Side
c. 1818
Medium
Etching and aquatint on ivory wove paper
Dimensions
Plate: 47 × 30.2 cm (18 9/16 × 11 15/16 in.); Sheet: 50 × 33.2 cm (19 11/16 × 13 1/8 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
117603
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
In no other of Fuseli’s original prints (that is, prints made by him, in contrast to reproductive engravings made by others after his paintings) did he so closely approach the condition of drawing as here. The etched line and aquatint, a type of etching that uses powdered rosin to create a tonal effect, successfully evoke the penned line and brushed wash of his watercolors.
About the Artist
Henry Fuseli · 1741–1825
Henry Fuseli (1741-1825), born Johann Heinrich Füssli in Zürich, was a Swiss-British painter whose visionary works exploring dreams, nightmares, and psychological terror made him one of the most original figures of the Romantic movement. His art bridged Neoclassical discipline with Romantic emotionalism, creating images of supernatural intensity that would influence artists from William Blake to t...