Deep, Dark And Dangerous

   On another breezy autumnal day in Dundee, I made my way to the University lecture theatre. After finding a seat I settled in to listen attentively to this week's subject, which covered a range of art styles, from Renaissance to Modernism. The period that I found particularly interesting was Romanticism. One particular piece of work that really spoke to me was 'The Nightmare' by Henry Fuseli. During a series of slides being shown to us, this painting really stood out, being both striking and evocative, portraying a dark and eerie scene full of symbolism.

   Apart from it's bold composition, one of the most interesting things that struck me about the painting was it's ability to invert and upset the accepted traditions of the time. For example, we may typically expect to see a recumbent female nude, surrounded by cherubs or attendant maids in a light and airy scene enjoying abundant fruits or gazing upon a beautiful vista, et cetera. Instead, with 'The Nightmare' we are treated to a reversal of these norms as we gaze upon a woman in the midst of night terrors. Her clothed form lies back slumped over the edge of her bed and upon her exposed and vulnerable chest sits a demon, malevolently staring out towards the viewer. This bizarre scene is made more disturbing by the presence of a dark horse with soulless eyes, peering from behind a voluminous red drape in the background.

   As I lock eyes with the imp, I believe that he represents the oppressive weight of worries and fears that can trouble the subconscious of the unconscious. The term 'nightmare', as much as I might like to link it to the horse in the background, actually refers to a feeling of suffocation and of difficulty in breathing during a tormented state of sleep. I feel that the incubus sitting upon the troubled female effectively represents this aspect, as his presence, weight and malevolence bear down upon her. Sitting in a position of oppression, he casually commands her ability to breathe easily or not. Perhaps the rather peculiar expression on the face of this creature, as he sits appearing to ponder something with a hand raised to his chin, could represent the victim as she internally struggles with her woes. Fuseli makes effective use of light and dark to provide a very striking composition, a realm of darkness, doom and foreboding contrasted with areas of light, colour and hope. I'm not quite sure what to make of the 'blind' horse, perhaps it represents a vehicle for escape from the hellish turmoil, or even a method of being delivered deeper into the torment. According to Germanic folklore, horses (nags or mares), often appear in the dreams of men experiencing troubled sleep and carry them around on a wild journey.

   I was very interested to learn that Fuseli's painting was an inspiration to Mary Shelley as she wrote her best known work 'Frankenstein'. In fact Henry Fuseli had a lengthy love affair with Shelley's mother (Mary Wollstonecraft) a few short years before her birth. In Shelley's novel, there is a scene which reflects the imagery of 'The Nightmare' in which Victor Frankenstein's bride Elizabeth is murdered by his 'creation', and her corpse drapes lifelessly over her bed. Whether it was Fuseli's painting or any of his later variations, or perhaps Shelley's writing and that of her peers, there was a desire amongst their receptive audience for a diet of mystery and horror. This is all rather odd perhaps, as it comes under the umbrella of romanticism, which seems something of a paradox. However, this movement helped inspire a great many artists and writers to produce many splendid works enjoyed both at the time and to the present day.

Here are some links: 

Romanticism 

Mary Shelley 

Mary Shelley's Influences 

Gothic Nightmares 

Henry Fuseli 

Mary Wollstonecraft