Johann Heinrich Fuseli, R.A. 1741-1825

Gert Schiff, Johann Heinrich Fussli, 1973, Vol 1, p.637, no. 1788; Vol II, illus. on p.577;
Gert Schiff, L'Opera Completa di Fussli, 1977, p.105, no.257;
David Weinglass, Prints and Engraved Illustrations by and after Henry Fuseli, 1994, no.252, ill.

Three figures represent a scene of sorrow - a couple of young lovers mourning the death of a bearded old man.  The nowadays unfamiliar theme is taken from the epic poem Oberon by Wieland of 1770 (book 9, verse 39), a fantastical, entangled adventure story set in the Middle Ages, which had met with immediate success.  On an enchanted island, the wise hermit Alphonso had become the mentor of the young knight and his lover, the daughter of the caliph.  The death of the hermit means for the young couple further vicissitudes before their final union.  In the Oberon saga, this episode is a decisive moment.  Fuseli enacts it with sweeping lines in dark hues, without any hint of surroundings.  The garments are theatrical, the white dress of the woman stands out between the brown of the two men, a faint shimmer of promise falls upon the couple.  The simplification of the forms, typical of the artist, aims to attain an increased expression.  The painting belongs to a group of twelve comparable works by Fuseli of nearly the same size, which form a set of illustrations of Oberon.  He painted them in preparation for the English translation of Oberon, published in 1805 by William Sotheby with engravings executed by various engravers (in the case of this picture it was H. Crome).  Throughout his life, the learned Fuseli - who settled permanently in London in 1779 - drew inspiration from great works of world literature.  He had previously painted several series of works illustrating Shakespeare, Milton and Homer, which likewise were published as commercial ventures in series of prints.  All these works have in common highly expressive figures and striking effects of light.  They were highly acclaimed by the English public.  It is no coincidence that their style is particularly close to some English painters, chiefly Romney.

We are grateful to Professor Roethlisberger for providing this catalogue note.