Sketch for 'Dido on the Funeral Pyre' (recto); Erotic Sketch of Man and Woman (verso)
c. 1781
Medium
Oil paint over charcoal (recto), and black chalk (verso), on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
53.9 × 37.2 cm (21 1/4 × 14 11/16 in.)
Classification
oil on paper
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
113888
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
Henry Fuseli, a leading figure of the Romantic movement, created this compelling double-sided sketch around 1781 while exploring dramatic literary themes. The recto depicts a study for “Dido on the Funeral Pyre,” drawn from Virgil’s Aeneid. It captures the Carthaginian queen in her final, tragic moments after being abandoned by Aeneas. Fuseli’s dynamic composition conveys intense emotion and impending doom, reflecting his fascination with passion, fate, and the sublime. Executed in oil paint over charcoal on ivory laid paper, the work demonstrates Fuseli’s experimental approach to sketching. ...
About the Artist
Henry Fuseli
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...