The Nightmare Henry (Fussli Fuseli (1741-1825)

Description of Henry Füssli’s painting Nightmare

"Nightmare" is a famous painting by the master of horror, an artist who anticipated the art of his time, Henry Füssli. Grim and grotesque, it terrified and provoked a storm of reactions from the public. Critics attribute it to the outburst of the unconscious, in which dream and horror are intertwined into a single whole. Not for nothing, the painting was in the waiting room of the famous Dr. Freud, who paid much attention to the interpretation of dreams.

The painting depicts a girl lying on a bed. It’s hard to tell if she’s asleep or in a deep sense of fainting. Her body is elongated and gracefully curved, which once again emphasizes the heaviness and absurdity of the demon perched upon her belly.

The head of a black horse with whitish, frightening eyes appears from behind the curtains. This image provides a reference to demonic possession, a desire for a mythological plot characteristic of the late Romantic era.

The snow-white body, exquisitely painted fabric of the nightgown, tapestries, and bedspread contrasts with the heavy dark background, which accentuates the victim’s helplessness, the suffocating wave of approaching terror. Art historians continue to debate whether the demon’s mastery has sexual overtones.

Despite the outright gloomy mood of the canvas it is still poetic, masterfully painted in light and shade, the transitions of tones, and the flowing softness of fabric. The work’s geometry is based on smooth curves and rounded forms. One can feel the impeccable sense of style of Venetian painting.

Obviously, the artist was also inspired by Gothic literature, Germanic legends of unclean powers and the works of the great Michelangelo. The painting is a bizarre mixture of nightmare, sensuality and eroticism. This technique is a red thread running through Füssli’s entire oeuvre. The masterpiece is in the public domain of the Detroit Art Institute.