Book Description

Painter, poet, critic, and teacher, Henry Fuseli (1741-1825) is one of the most idiosyncratic and original figures in the history of British art. His life and work have always fueled speculation, gossip, and fantasy--from the rumors of his opium addiction and predilection for eating raw pork to the wildly differing modern assessments of his art. Art historians view him variously as a prime exponent of Neoclassicism, a Romantic before his time, or an aberrant individualist foreshadowing the innovations of Surrealism.

This book reinterprets Fuseli by locating him in a period of traumatic social, cultural, and political revolution. Thematic chapters explore the successive phases of his career. They move from his early work in London and Rome, through his innovative exploitation of London's new public spaces for displaying art, to his old age--a period of great professional success when he profoundly influenced a whole generation of younger British artists. A vivid image of the artist emerges, revealing Fuseli as a seminal figure in the development of modern art.