Henry Fuseli (1741–1825)
Fallen Horseman Attacked by a Monstrous Serpent (recto), ca. 1800
Pen and brown ink over black chalk on laid paper
15 x 11 11/16 in. (38.1 x 29.7 cm)
Bequest of Charles A. Ryskamp, 2010
Photo Michael Bodycomb
The unseated horseman ensnared by a monstrous serpent is the hero Siegfried of the Niebelungenlied, a medieval German epic poem that provided rich source material for the Swiss-born Fuseli. Dynamic, twisted forms, energetic pen lines, and dramatic shadows in wash emphasize the intensity of the struggle. Another ink drawing on the reverse of this sheet, which has partially bled through to the front, depicts the biblical figure Job tormented by Satan.