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Henry Fuseli

Henry Fuseli, 1778. Portrait by James No

Henry Fuseli  was a Swiss painter, draughtsman and writer on art who spent much of his life in Britain.Many of his works, such as The Nightmare, deal with supernatural subject-matter. He painted works for John Boydell's Shakespeare Gallery, and created his own "Milton Gallery".

TIME-LINE

1741

7th February

Henry Fuseli  was born  (German) Johann Heinrich Füssli in Zürich, in Switzerland, the second of 18 children, to  Johann Caspar Füssli ( Swiss portrait painter and writer) and Elisabeth Waser

1743

9th March

Fuseli's younger brother Johann Kaspar Füssli was born  in Zurich

1749

16th September

Fuseli's  younger sister is born, Anna Füssli, whom later  became a Swiss painter. She specialized in flower and insect paintings.

1761

After a period of intensive theological study Fuseli was ordained a Zwinglian minister and preached his first sermon.

Fuseli was forced to leave the country as a result of having helped who had been one of his schoolmates  Johann Kaspar Lavater, to expose an unjust magistrate, whose powerful family sought revenge. 

1764

Fuseli went to London to work as a translator of French, German, and Italian books

1765

Fuseli travelled through Germany, and then, visited England.

1767

 Fuseli's book on the French philosopher, Remarks on the Writing and Conduct of J. J. Rousseau, was published anonymously

1770-78

Fuseli studied in Rome from 1770 to 1778

1772

24th February

Fueseli's  younger sister is born, Anna Füssli died.

1779

Fuseli's returned to Britain

1781

Fuseli completed "The Nightmare" oil painting . It shows a woman in deep sleep with her arms thrown below her, and with a demonic and apelike incubus crouched on her chest.

 

1782

6th May

Fuseli's father died Johann Caspar Füssli

Fuseli's painting, "The Nightmare"first exhibition, at the  Royal Academy of London, critics and patrons reacted with horrified fascination and the work became widely popular

1783

 Joseph Johnson commissioned a portrait of Joseph Priestley by Fuseli

1786

4th May

Fuseli's younger brother Johann Kaspar Füssli died

Fuseli started to write essays and reviews for the Analytical Review. With Thomas Paine, William Godwin, Joseph Priestley, Erasmus Darwin, Mary Wollstonecraft, and others interested in art.

1787

Fuseli,meets Mary Wollstonecraft, English writer, philosopher, and advocate of women's rights.Also mother of  Mary Shelley, who would become an accomplished writer and author of Frankenstein.

1788

Fuseli married Sophia Rawlins (originally one of his models), and he soon after became an associate of the Royal Academy.

Fuseli started to write essays and reviews for the Analytical Review

1789

Fuseli becomes romantically involved Mary Wollstonecraft.Which ends Wollstonecraft, Fuseli, and his wife come to an emotional crisis. She proposed a platonic living arrangement with Fuseli and his wife, but Fuseli's wife was appalled, and he broke off the relationship with Wollstonecraft.After Fuseli's rejection, Wollstonecraft decided to travel to France to escape the humiliation of the incident

 

1790

 Fuseli became a full Academician, presenting Thor Battering the Midgard Serpent as his diploma  work.

Fuseli, completed the painting "Thor Battering the Midgard Serpent".The painting was Fuseli's diploma work for his election to the British Royal Academy of Arts

1794

Fuseli created two other works depicting the Three Witches for a Dublin art gallery.

1796

Fuseli completed "The Night-Hag Visiting Lapland Witches"

1799

Fuseli was appointed professor of painting to the Academy.

Fuseli exhibited a series of paintings from subjects furnished by the works of John Milton

 

1803

Fuseli was chosen as Keeper, and resigned his professorship of the Academy.

 

Fuseli completed "The Blind Polyphemus, at the Entrance to His Cave, Strokes the Ram under which Odysseus Lies Concealed".

1807

Fuseli completed "The Debutante", which depicts ;Woman, the victim of male social conventions, is tied to the wall, made to sew and guarded by governesses. The picture reflects Mary Wollstonecraft's views in The Rights of Women

1810

Fuseli  resumed  professorship to the Academy.

1825

17th April

Henry Fuseli, died  (aged 84) at the house of the Countess of Guildford, Putney Hill, London, England

 Henry Fuseli buried in the crypt of St Paul's Cathedral.

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