Der Tod des Oedipus (The Death of Oedipus)

Art Historical Context

**Der Tod des Oedipus ( Death of Oedipus)** an evocative 1806 outline engraving and etching by Franzi after a design by Henry Fuseli captures a poignant moment from Sophocles' ancient Greek tragedy *Oedipus at Colonus*. scene depicts the blinded king's serene yet mystical death, guided by his devoted daughters Antigone and Ismene, themes of fate, redemption, and familial piety. Fuseli, a pioneering Romantic artist known for his dramatic, gothic-infused history paintings like *The Nightmare*, infused this work with emotional intensity, bridging neoclassical reverence for antiquity with emerging Romantic passion. Hegi's masterful technique in outline engraving and etching—using acid to bite fine lines into a copper plate—creates crisp, linear forms ideal for book illustrations or prints, allowing wide dissemination of Fuseli's vision. Measuring 9 13/16 × 12 5/8 inches on the plate, this print from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department highlights early 19th-century printmaking's role in making high art accessible. Gifted in 1955, it reflects the enduring cultural fascination with Oedipus's myth, symbolizing human vulnerability and divine mystery. (198 words)

About the Artist

Franz Hegi|Henry Fuseli (Swiss|Swiss) · 1774 |1741 –1850 |1825

Swiss, Lausanne 1774–1850 Zurich|Swiss, Zürich 1741–1825 London