Henry Fuseli
- Artist: Edward Hodges Baily
- Date: 1824
- Medium: marble
- Dimensions: 22 1/2 in. x 11 1/4 in. (570 mm x 285 mm) overall
- Portrays: Henry Fuseli
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
In front of you stands a marble bust of Henry Fuseli, created in 1824 by sculptor Edward Hodges Baily. The figure reaches about 22½ inches tall and is carved with the kind of smooth finish that lets light play across his cheeks and cheekbones. Around the base you can read a Greek inscription added at Fuseli’s suggestion; it translates as “Look upon that which we now suppose to be.” This work belongs to a small series of four busts commissioned by Sir Thomas Lawrence, all of fellow‑artists. Notice how Baily captures Fuseli’s expressive profile—his eyes slightly lowered, a gentle smile that hints at his lively personality. The portrait is finished in pure marble, the stone's natural grain adding texture against the polished face. Fuseli was a Swiss painter and Royal Academician who spent much of his life in Britain; he is best known for his supernatural subjects, especially “The Nightmare.”
See it in person
Henry Fuseli is in the collection of The National Portrait Gallery at St Martin's Place, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
