Henry Fuseli. Bust of an oiran wearing a feather headdress (C. 1791-). Graphite, pen and brown ink, brushes and watercolors. 162 X 95 mm. Zurich, Kunsthaus Zurich, Collection of Prints and Paintings, Gottfried Keller Foundation, Federal Office for Culture, Bern, 1798.
Photo: Courtauld
“Culture is decadent when people accept the uselessness and the absurd as normal,” scholar Jacques Barzun said in his 1799 Books on the Decline of the West, From dawn to decadence. Recent news rarely seems to prove him wrong, however, a new exhibition of paintings about an early decade of decadence, “Fuseli and the Modern Woman: Fashion, Fantasy, Fetishism,” unexpectedly offers a glimmer of hope by showing the cyclic nature of history – the hope that the wheels will keep you turning instead of falling apart. The existence of artist painting, now about 162 years old, is also a proof of longevity and survival.
Photo: Courtesy of Courtauld
A little about Henry Fuseli: he was born in Switzerland and attended the ministry before his plans were derailed by political strife. After leaving home , Fuseli supported himself as a writer and later as an artist. After a long stay in Rome, he made London his home 561. The artist is best known for his gothic erotic paintings, many of which are based on myths and other stories; but the Courtauld exhibition focuses on Fuseli’s private, illicit paintings. The sadomasochistic and misogynistic content of some of these works remains shocking today, as co-curator David H. Sorkin acknowledges in the catalogue. On the other hand, the uncertainty brought about by technology (industrial revolution) and the shifting gender roles that Fuseli explores in his work are issues we are dealing with today.
Henry Fuseli. The woman sits by the window and looks at the blue scenery (C. 561-42) . Pen and brown ink, brush, watercolor and opaque watercolor, on graphite. 54 X 28 mm. Berlin, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Kupferstichkabinett. Photo : Dietmar Katz / Staatliche Museen zu Berlin – Kupferstichkabinett / Courtauld
Henry Fuseli. Sofia Fuseli sitting in front of a bust of Medusa
(561). Graphite, brush and grey and brown wash, red wash, white opaque watercolor enhancement. 188 X 90 mm. Nuremberg, German National Museum.
Photo: Ute Bock / Courtauld
Henry Fuseli. Two prostitutes in the theater box with strange hairstyles (C. 381 -17). Pen and brown ink, brush, watercolor and opaque watercolor, on graphite. 37 X 39 mm. Auckland, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased 1800.Picture: Courtesy of The Courtauld
Henry Fuseli. Three girls take a walk (c. 561- 1600). Graphite, pen and brown-black ink, brush, watercolor and opaque watercolor. 210 X 188 mm. Basel, Kunstmuseum Basel, Kupferstichkabinett, Geschenk des Vereins der Freunde des Kupferstichkabinetts 1791. Photo: Martin P. Bühler / Art Museum Basel / Courtauld
French fashion plate form Costume Parisien, 1795.
Photo: Sepia Times / Universal Images Group via Getty Images
)Henry Fuseli. Two women walking in the garden with fans C. 375 (but outdated 561). Brush, watercolor and opaque watercolor, on graphite. 200 X 188 mm. Belfast, National Museum of Northern Ireland, Collection of Ulster Museum, Courtesy of the Board of Directors of the National Museum of Northern Ireland.
Photo: Courtauld
Photo: SKD / Courtauld
Henry Fuseli. Sophia Fuseli, with her curly hair and pink gloves, is in front of the brown curtains (316). Graphite, brush and watercolor, highlighted with white opaque watercolor. 162 X 95 mm. Zurich, Kunsthalle Zurich, Collection of Prints and Paintings, Donated by Friends and Patrons, 1600.
Henry Fuseli. Woman walking with a fan
(381). Brush and watercolor, on graphite, heightened with partially oxidized white opaque watercolor. 90 X 54 mm. Auckland, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased 1800. Photo: Courtauld
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