The Nightmare (1781)

"The Nightmare" (1781) is a work by Henry Fuseli. About the period around 1781: The Enlightenment and the habit of the Grand Tour fed a wider interest in science, travel, antiquity, and natural history, and illustrators accompanied many expeditions. In Japan, ukiyo-e woodblock printing flourished in the Edo period and made colour prints a popular and affordable art form. Mythology in brief: In European academies, history and mythological subjects ranked highest among painting genres, so they often appear on a large scale and with ambitious compositions. Mythological painting draws on stories from Greek and Roman myth, and on other traditions such as Norse, Celtic, and Hindu narrative. It is listed in the Mythology collection. The image is in landscape orientation.

Everything for "The Nightmare" arrives digitally: Digital JPEG + PDF files, 300 DPI. Once payment is confirmed, an email brings the download link, and from there you decide how to print it, whether at home, at a print shop, or through an online service. A landscape format suits wide, low wall spaces such as the stretch above a bed, mantel, or sideboard. Matching the frame to the image proportions avoids cropping. Hang the print away from direct sunlight, which over the years can fade any printed colour. Choosing a standard frame size and printing to fit it often saves the cost of custom framing. Screens and printers render colour differently, so a small test print is a sensible way to check tones before committing to a large size.

Swiss, 1741–1825

If you like the visual language of Henry Fuseli, explore more works by the same artist in our collection.