Henry Fuseli, R.A.

Benjamin Sharpe, Hanwell Park, Middlesex;
G. & L. Bollag, Zurich

Zurich, Kunsthaus, Austellung von Gemälden, Zeichnungen und Kupferstichen, Johann Heinrich Füssli – Henry Fuseli (1741-1825), 18^th July – 5^th September 1926, no. 27;
Zurich, Kunsthaus, Johann Heinrich Füssli (1741-1825): Zur Zweihundertjahrfeier und Gedächtnisausstellung, 1941, no. 24;
Zurich, Kunsthaus, J.H. Fussli - Ausstellung, 1969, no. 79 

G. Schiff, Johann Heinrich Füssli 1741-1825, Zurich 1973, pp. 326 & 566, no. 1221;
G. Schiff and P. Viotto, L'opera completa di Füssli, Milan 1977, no. 252, p. 105

STRUCTURE The canvas has been lined. PAINT SURFACE The painting appears to be in good condition, with no apparent damage or loss of paint. ULTRAVIOLET Examination under ultraviolet light reveals one small area of retouching in the drapery to the left of the knight's head and a further small area in the centre right at the edge of the canvas. There is some scattered minor old strengthening to aspects of the drapery and there is a discoloured old varnish overall. FRAME Held in a gilded wooden frame. To speak to a specialist about this lot please contact Julian Gascoigne on +44 (0)207 293 5482, or at julian.gascoigne@sothebys.com, or Emmeline Hallmark on 44 (0)207 293 5407, or at emmeline.hallmark@sothebys.com.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Oberon, published in 1780, was the most celebrated work by the German poet Christoph Weiland. Weiland had lived in Switzerland for a number of years when a young man, and amongst his friends was Fuseli's father, Johann Caspar Füssli. This dramatic picture is one of ten illustrations which Fuseli painted for the second edition of William Sotheby's English translation of Oberon, and came from the collection of Benjamin Sharpe of Hanwell Park who owned eight of the set.  Oberon tells the tale of the knight Hüon, his love for Amanda, daughter of the Sultan of Baghdad, and their various misfortunes following their infringement of Oberon's requirement of chastity. Itself based on the epic French medieval romance Huon de Bordeaux, Wieland's poem was used as the basis for the libretto in a popular opera of the same name by Carl Maria von Weber. Originally written in English, Weber's opera opened at Covent Garden in June 1826, with the role of Sir Huon performed by John Braham, and was later translated into German by Theodor Hell, with performances mounted in Leipzig in 1826, Dublin, Edinburgh and Vienna in 1827, Prague in 1828 and Budapest in 1829.