How To Paint A Nightmare

Summary by Krater

An analysis of Henry Fuseli's 1781 painting The Nightmare, exploring its dark symbolism, visual composition, and cultural legacy in relation to romanticism and the psychology of dreams.

From the video

Answers: What is the meaning and history behind Henry Fuseli's painting The Nightmare?

• The Nightmare painting analysis
• Henry Fuseli art history
• Romanticism in art
• Caravaggio lighting techniques
• Etymology of nightmare

What it concludes

• Henry Fuseli's The Nightmare offers no easy answers, encouraging viewers to grasp for meaning while highlighting the elusive nature of control.
• The painting's intense chiaroscuro effect creates a dramatic composition that makes the figures seem to push forward from the frame.
• The Nightmare became a key moment in the rise of romanticism by evoking a simultaneous repulsion and attraction to horror.