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232

No. IX.

HENRY FUSELI, Esq. M. A. R. A.

PROFESSOR OF PAINTING, AND KEEPER IN THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF LONDON; MEMBER OF THE FIRST CLASS OF THE ACADEMY OF ST. LUKE, AT ROME, &c. &c.

A FORMER biographer of this highly-gifted and extraordinary man*, thus ably and elegantly introduces a brief but spirited sketch of his character, illustrative of a resemblance of him from the pencil of his friend Opie:

"To the reader who is about to peruse the history of studious men, the cultivators of art or science, it has been sometimes thought requisite to offer a prefatory apology, by lamenting the deficiency of incident necessarily attendant on their pursuits. But is not this complaint addressed rather to one who contracts his standard of intellectual amusement to the wonders of a novel or a romance, than to the philosopher, whose extensive contemplation ranges with equal ardour over all the varied pages which fill the volume of nature? To the former, a long fluctuating chain of accidents, surprises, and changes, is requisite to continue a slight degree of emotion in his mind: the latter finds, in a few short and simple records of mental progress, a higher gra→ tification than the revolutions of fortune can supply. To him it will appear no less an object of importance than of curiosity, to trace the methods which have conducted, or the contingencies which have combined, to the attainment of eminence; and to such a one no narrative, perhaps, could furnish more ample scope of instructive reflection, than the complete memoirs of the artist whose portrait is

* In the Monthly Mirror, for January, 1801.

prefixed to these pages. It will be found even from the perusal of this short sketch, that it is not the mere impulse of unassisted genius which gives birth to works of classic celebrity, but that they are produced by the slowly-maturing culture of the mind; by enriching the memory with the various treasures of history; by exploring the sources of learning; by exciting the imagination and strengthening the taste, in arduous and experimental researches of the charms of poetry, the graces of art, and the imagery of fancy.

"Sic mens, habilisque facultas

Indolis excolitur, Geniumque Scientia complet."

The father of Mr. Fuseli was an artist of Zurich, - John Gaspard Fuessli (for Fuessli was the family name); who, after acquiring the elements of painting in his own country, went at an early age to Vienna, and thence to Rastadt, on the invitation of the Prince of Schwarzenburg, with whom he became a particular favourite. He painted portraits and landscapes with great power. Among others whose portraits he painted was the Margrave of Durlach, who had a great affection for him, and advised him to go to Ludwigsbourg, which he did, with letters of recommendation to the Duke of Wirtemberg, who immediately took him into his service. Here he passed his time agreeably, making occasional excursions to paint the portraits of persons of distinction, until the war of Poland, when the entrance of the French into Germany threw every thing into confusion. Fuessli then removed to Nuremberg, his highness at parting presenting him with a gold watch, and requesting him to return when the state of public affairs became tranquil. After remaining six months at Nuremberg, the Duke of Wirtemberg died; upon which Fuessli returned to his own country, where he married. This union produced three sons: Rodolph, who settled at Vienna, and became librarian to the Emperor of Germany; Henry, the subject of the present memoir; and Caspar, a skilful entomologist, who, after having published several works on his favourite science,

died in the prime of life.-John Gaspard Fuessli's talents and reputation procured him the friendship of the greatest artists of his time, particularly Mengs, who sent him his "Treatise on the Beautiful;" which Fuessli published with a preface. His taste for poetry also gained him the acquaintance of Kliest, Klopstock, Wieland, Bodmer, and Breitingher. Such was his liberality, that he gave gratuitous lessons to many young persons, and made collections to assist them in their studies. In 1740 and 1742 he lost his two friends Kupetski and Rugendas, whose memoirs he wrote; which employment was the foundation of his "Biographical History of the Artists of Switzerland," a work that displays elegance and critical acumen. He died in 1781, aged 75.

The precise year of Mr. Fuseli's birth is not known. He had the foible which is frequently found in persons of the strongest mind, that of unwillingness to talk of their age. It is generally supposed that he was born in 1739; but this is only conjecture. Happening, some years ago, to meet with a little German memoir of himself, in which it was stated that he was born in 1741, Mr. Fuseli drew his pen through the last 1, and substituted the figure 5. An intimate friend of his, however, in whose possession the memoir now is, is of opinion that nothing but a little forgetfulness prevented the 4 from being also changed into a 3.

But whatever doubt there may be as to the time, there is none as to the place of Mr. Fuseli's birth, which was Zurich. Of his early years not much is known. He used to say of himself that he was a wayward child; that he frequently incurred severe punishment from his master by neglecting the tasks prescribed to him in common with the other boys; but that, as soon as he was out of school, and free from the trammels of discipline, he could set to work, and study with great facility and perseverance. His mother was a very superior woman. Mr. Fuseli attributed much of his youthful information to her instructions, and always spoke of her with the greatest tenderness and veneration.

Although young Fuseli evinced, from infancy, strong indications of the peculiar talent by which he afterwards so eminently distinguished himself, his father, who had probably experienced the inconveniences and evils which too frequently beset the profession of an artist, determined to bring him up to the church; and did every thing that he could to thwart the natural bent of his inclination. This opposition met with the fate which usually attends similar attempts. When will parents and legislators take a lesson from the amiable Frenchwoman, who, on drinking a glass of deliciously cool lemonade, after having been heated and exhausted in the dance, exclaimed, "What a pity it is not a sin !" The zest of prohibition being added to the gratification which young Henry felt in the exercise of his pencil, he devoted to it every moment that he could contrive to withdraw from his other occupations; and frequently purloined candle-ends from the kitchen to enable him to sit up at night, and pursue in solitude and secrecy his darling studies. Even at that period, Michael Angelo was his favourite. His father had an extensive collection of prints, especially after that great master; and with their peculiar merits and style, young Fuseli, by repeated copies, rendered himself familiar. Nor did he confine himself to "servile imitation." Among the productions of his juvenile invention were a set of outlines (etchings of which were many years afterwards published), suggested by the perusal of an eccentric German novel, called "The Hour-glass ;" and representing a number of fantastic imps engaged in all kinds of mischievous tricks.

He occasionally sold some of his little drawings to his school-fellows. Having by this means amassed a small sum of pocket-money, and happening to fall in love with a flamingcoloured silk which he saw in a mercer's window, he bought it, and had it made up into a coat. The first time, however, that he wore this splendid habiliment, his companions laughed at him so heartily, that he threw it off in a violent passion, and could never bear finery afterwards.

In order that he might be duly qualified for the sacred office to which he was destined, his father placed him, at the proper age, in the Academical Gymnasium, or Humanity College; of which his old friends, Bodmer and Breitinger, were the most distinguished professors. Here he became a fellow-student in theology with the amiable and celebrated Lavater, with whom he formed a friendship that lasted until death; and that was then transferred to Lavater's son with unabated fervour. It was here also that he began to cultivate a knowledge of the English language; in which he soon became so great a proficient as to read Shakspeare with ease, and to translate Macbeth into German. He subsequently translated Lady Mary Wortley Montagu's letters into German. Here, too, the writings of Klopstock and Wieland operated as incentives to his muse; he imbibed an intense love of poetry; and produced several poems in his native language that met with considerable applause.

About this period an event occurred, which proved that the characteristic energy of his mind was already powerfully developing itself. Fuseli and Lavater had heard much of the acts of injustice committed by a ruling magistrate in one of the bailiwicks of Zurich. But although the complaints of his conduct became daily louder, and his guilt more evident, yet it seemed difficult to obtain redress, as the burgomaster of Zurich was his father-in-law. Fuseli and his friend first addressed an anonymous letter to the unjust magistrate, containing a list of his offences, and threatening a public accusation, unless he gave immediate satisfaction to those whom he had plundered. No notice having been taken of this letter, the two friends made their complaint public, in a pamphlet entitled, "The Unjust Magistrate, or the Complaint of a Patriot," which was printed and introduced into the houses of the principal members of the government. The business was at length taken up by the council at Zurich; a rigorous inquiry was instituted; and the authors of the complaint were called upon to make themselves known.

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