Brief Biography-Johann Heinrich Füssli (Henry Fuseli) was born in Zurich in 1741. His father, an artist, steered him into the church, and in 1761 he received his orders. However, in 1763, his disclosure concerning a dishonest magistrate resulted in him leaving Zurich for Berlin, where he studied art and literature. When a British ambassador viewed his works, he invited him to England. Joshua Reynoldswas impressed by his drawings and urged him to go to Italy in 1770. He met Jacques-Louis David during his stay in Rome and studied Michelangelo’s works over his eight-year visit.
When he returned to England, his painting, The Nightmare, helped him to succeed. Füssli was elected Associate of the Royal Academy in 1778 and became an Academician in 1790. He was named Lecturer on Painting in 1799 and made keeper in 1804. He died in Putney in 1825. William Blake, who he knew in England, influenced his work. Some of his noted students were Landseer, Constable, Haydon and Mulready.