Füssli and his visionary production: works on Shakespearean themes from all over Europe.
Dazzled by the grandeur of the ancient ruins and the works of Michelangelo, Füssli developed the stimuli from his voyage in Italy in visionary works that were to profoundly influence English Romantic culture. A great interpreter of the aesthetic of the sublime in vogue in those years, Füssli was a restless, troubled soul. His work is packed with enigmas, unspeakable fears, dramatic ambiguities. The catalogue of the exhibition held in Parma in 1997 features an important selection of paintings on Shakespearean themes. The works, about 70 including oils and works on paper, most of which had never been shown in Italy, come from museums like the Louvre, the Tate Gallery and the British Museum. The essays introduce the work of Füssli, outlining an artistic and theoretical profile, with comparison between the painter’s interpretation of the work of Shakespeare and the thinking current in the 18th century.