REVIEW

Fuseli, tue Swiss, and tue Britisu: Some Recent Publications

Detlef W. Dörrbecker

Blake/An Illustrated Quarterly, Volume 15, Issue 1, Summer 1981, pp. 53-56 53

Fuseli, The Swiss, And The British: Some Recent Publications. Reviewed by Detlef W. Dbrrbecker

ohann Heinrich F'ussli has been repatriated. relation between painting and poetry in his oeuvve Posthumously the Swiss painter who, under differs considerably from that in Blake's, where the J the name of , became Professor terminology of the "sister arts" and a "composite of Painting and Keeper of the Royal Academy art" seems more legitimate. The Samtliche Gedichte is now accepted as one of the major figures of do not follow the concept of ut pictura poesis at eighteenth-century Continental art,1 and many of his all; on the contrary, with few exceptions they are most celebrated works have, during the past seventy quite abstract and non-visual, written in the manner years or so, found their way "back" into Swiss, and under the marked influence of Friedrich Gottlieb German, and Italian collections. Also, much of the Klopstock.3 Guthke points out what the reader of scholarly work on Fuseli has been published on the Fuseli's poetry feels from the beginning: the Continent, and now two aspects of his work which author favored the classical ode; his stanzas are are not readily available to the museum public, his alcaic or asclepiadeic; he makes use of hexameters poetry and his , seem on the verge of or distichs—all rather complex poetic devices gaining the recognition they deserve. employed with an extensive knoweldge of antique traditions. These suit much of his subject matter, Professor Schiff's pioneering analysis of the which is full of learned allusions and sometimes British Museum's Roman Scketchbook, which prepared close to an allegorical hide-and-seek. the way for the 1958-59 exhibition of the then little-known Zeiohnungen von Johann Heinrich F'ussli Many of these verses are addressed to Fuseli's in Zurich, and Eudo C. Mason's rare edition of some friends in Switzerland; then there are the odes on of the painter's poems,2 have been followed more patience, "auf den Portwein," and "an das Vaterland. recently by a number of important books and exhibi- Other groups are devoted to the Nibelungen saga and tion catalogues. Some of these are briefly described Germanic history, the anti-slavery campaign and the in the following notes, leaving, however, the chef American War of Independence, or the author's theory d'oeuvre of all Fuseli scholarship to the present of art. That Fuseli's finest achievement as a poet day, Gert Schiff's monumental catalogue raisonnet is one of his few love poems, "Nannas Auge," has for separate discussion later. long been accepted. Though Fuseli has been identi- fied as one of the major exponents of the Storm-and- As a poet Fuseli indeed has to be considered in Stress movement, Guthke justly emphasizes that his the context of German-language literature. The poetry is far from being impeccable. Often 54

there are signs of rhetorical over-working, a fault of Fuseli's poetry that is available to a wide 4 that Fuseli recognized and criticized himself. public. Too much may have been left to the uncon- Judging the quality of his literary work, however, trollable "Ermessen des Herausgebers"9 and the extent we ought to remember that what we have of his later of Bircher's "modernizing" can be only estimated by poetry is in most cases known from working drafts comparing the facsimile reproductions of the manu- only, and Mason's earlier hypothesis, that many of scripts with the edited versions.10 This may be the poems might have reached a maturer state in the 5 justified by the attempt to achieve "eine lesbare lost fair copies, still seems valid. . . . Textform;" I doubt, however, that the same text can meet with the demands of a "wissenschaftlich The majority of the forty-six poems, printed zuverlassige Textform."11 In any case, the incom- here in an often tentative chronological sequence, pleteness in the apparatus of variants will be were written early in Fuseli's career, and only two regretted in the long run, especially by those of them in English. If seen in the context of scholars who cannot easily consult the original contemporary German and English literature, all of manuscripts in Appledore (Ashford, Kent), Berlin, them bear witness to the stylistic conservatism of and Zurich. And yet, if Bircher and Guthke's edition their author. The mature work of Goethe and Schiller, is measured against what we had before, these criti- of Holderlin and Kleist, of the German and British cisms shrink to their proper proportions. While Romantics made no mark. The odes bear an especially Fuseli may be only a minor Swiss poet, the publica- strong resemblance to Klopstock's "Hermann und tion of this handsome little volume—about the size Thusnelda"--which Fuseli deliberately remodelled in of Blake's Poetical Sketches—should nevertheless be about 1760--while the prose poem "Klagen" is somewhat welcomed for the insight it makes possible into the reminiscent of Young's Night Thoughts. Another group painter's feelings as well as his ideas.12 reflects Fuseli's admiration for his countryman Rousseau,6 and throughout he shows a critical aware- Whereas the 1977 Milan catalogue of some forty- ness of the decaying feudal structures of European five of Fuseli's disegni e dipinti gives little society, as seen through his own republicanism. The relevant information beyond a number of new owner- cult of artistic creativity that is apparent in "Die ships,13 Yvonne Boerlin-Brodbeck's work on the Basle Gaben Gottes," the attack on colonialism and slavery collection of Fuseli's drawings deserves more atten- and his "prophecy" of the American Revolution in tion. Cleaning and restoration of this group, "Chincona" and "Colombo" are close--but close in combined with the author's scrutiny on watermarks subject matter only--to Blake's works of the early and the like, has yielded a number of interesting 1790s. Though Fuseli's poetry clearly suggests that new results.114 Almost eighty works from what probably his friendship with the engraver grew out of a number is the finest Fuseli collection in our day, the of political and artistic ideas that they shared, I Kunsthaus Zurich, were on show at Geneva in 1978, cannot see any direct poetic influence of the one and, more recently, an exhibition comprising not only on the other of the two men. [Mispreading the the "painter in ordinary to the devil" but also his Gediohte as prose , however, we find Fuseli's circle in , was held at the Yale Center for "Erste [und Zweite] Ode Liber die Kunst" of the early British Art.15 Yet another exhibition, concentrating 1770s foreshadowing Blake's Descriptive Catalogue in on the Auckland Fuseli's, travelled to various cities its praise of and outline at the expense in Australia and New Zealand from April to November of Titian, Correggio, and coloring. (Though Raphael, 1979. The Auckland drawings did not come to scholar- too, was one of Fuseli's effeminate demons!) Fuseli's ly light until 1963; they were then published in exclamation "HSlle, sei mir qegriisset!" appears to Peter Tomory's important catalogue of 1967. The echo Blake's Marriage , and any Blake scholar will booklet accompanying their latest showing is a feel at home with the attacks on kings and priests slightly revised and considerably enlarged version, that are launched repeatedly. prepared by the same author. This time, Fuseli's designs were put into proper perspective: the 100 Guthke's "Nachwort" supplies the reader with items on show included work by such artists as yet another short biography of Fuseli which, though Barry, Blake, John Brown, Jefferys, Mortimer, Romney, there is nothing new in it, is necessary to an under- and , forming, according to Tomory, standing of the various auto-biographical pieces. a Poetical Circle around the British-Swiss master.16 Rather more important is the analysis of the obvious For Blake enthusiasts, Tomory's new hypothesis that discrepancies between Fuseli's poetic and pictorial the engraver may have been the original oeuvres, and Guthke is also helpful with respect to owner of the Auckland Fuseli collection should the formal development of Fuseli's poetry in its certainly add to the attractiveness of the catalogue. historical context. Mason's introduction to the Prof. Tomory argues that the album may have passed edition of 1951, however, is not superseded by Guthke through Linnell's hands and then into the possession and Bircher. In my opinion it remains the most of Albin Martin, the former owner of the much dis- detailed and balanced account of Fuseli's poetic puted New Zealand set of copies from Blake's Job.11 achievement that has been published to the present day.7 Besides the Milan catalogue, another Italian Though the title promises Samtliche Gedichte, effort in Fuseli studies ought to be mentioned. the edition is not complete. Thus, for unknown L'opera completa di Fussli has many merits.18 First, reasons the lyrical fragments among Fuseli's letters, the 64 full-page illustrations in quarto format 8 which are known from Federmann's book, have been represent the largest group of color plates from left out. Also, I am not entirely comfortable with Fuseli's oeuvre published to the present day; and the editorial principles employed in this first, and the modest price of the book makes us put up with probably for a long time to come the only, collection the fact that some of them are rather marred, and 55 that they often show a beastly tinge of red which pitant way, what has been termed the "national character" in art. of course is absent from the original oils and Together with all milieu and social theory of art this complex of questions undoubtedly belongs to the realm of unsolved problems watercolors. Then there is a competent "elenco in post-war . The painter's own feelings for Switzer- cronologico e iconografico di tutti i dipinti di land obviously remained unsettled, which is hardly surprising Fussli o a lui attribuiti," compiled by Paola Viotto with an emigrant. (Compare, e.g., the satirical Schiff under the guidance of Gert Schiff. This "catalogo no. 568 and the poem on "Schweizerlands K'unstler."). In any case, it appears to be an irresponsible—though probably unconscious— delle [318] opere" is illustrated with tiny black- chauvinism when Fuseli's art is "claimed" for the annals of this and-white reproductions of the paintings. Complete or that nation as long as we know so little about the complex with an appendix (a descriptive and fully illustrated interplay of personal style, national character and the "inter- list of 122 important Fuseli drawings), an "itine- nationalism" (Rosenblum) of late eighteenth-century art. rario di un'avventura critica," a select bibliography, 2 Gert Schiff, Zeiohnungen J. H. Fusslis aus seiner romisohen a timetable, a thematic index, and an introductory Zeit: Mit einem besahreibenden Katalog seines Romisohen Albums essay by Gert Schiff on "il classicista 'malgre" im Britisahen Museum, London (unpublished Ph. D. thesis, University lui,1" this makes up a fine and most useful of Cologne, 1957); Gert Schiff, Zeiohnungen von Johann Heinriah compendium. Side by side, the London catalogue of Fussli 1741-1825: Unbekannte und neugedeutete Blatter aus 19 Sammlungen in Grossbritannien, Nordirland, Sohweden und der 1975 and this volume from the "Classici dell'Arte" Sohweiz (Zurich: Fretz &Wasmuth, 1959 [Schweizerisches Institut series constitute, as it were, an abbreviated version fur Kunstwissenschaft, "Kleine Schriften," vol. 2]); and Eudo C. of the monumental catalogue vaisonne. Mason, ed., Unverdffentlichte Gediohte von Johann Heinriah Fussli (Zurich: Kunstgesellschaft, 1951 ["Neujahrsblatt der Zurcher Kunstgesellschaft"]). In spite of the warnings of Anthony Blunt and others,20 both Blake and Fuseli scholars, where 3 See Guthke's "Nachwort," in Johann Heinrich Fussli, S'dmtliche dealing with the relation between the two artists, Gediahte, ed. Martin Bircher and Karl S. Guthke (Zurich: Orell Fussli, 1973 ["Nobile Turegum: Zurcher Drucke des 16. bis 19. have all too often been preoccupied with establishing Jahrhunderts"]), p. 107; (DM 32, c. $19.00). In addition, Mason dubious priorities in the use of this or that motif. showed how close Fuseli's poems often are to Horace (see Mason It is to be hoped that the wealth of materials 1951, p. 28). published by now, including some listed in this N See Bircher & Guthke 1973, p. 110. announcement, will help in tackling more ingenious questions. Thus, the similarities in subject matter 5 See Mason 1951, p. 12. may be weighed against the basic differences in 6 personal style; Fuseli, the outsider inside the Cf. Johann Heinrich F'ussli, Remarks on the Writings and Conduct of J. J. Rousseau—Bemerkungen uber J. J. Rousseaus Schriften und academic system may confront Blake, the outsider Verhalten, ed. Eudo C. Mason (Zurich: Fretz & Wasmuth, 1962 outside all systems but his own; Fuseli, as a [Schweizerisches Institut fur Kunstwissenschaft, "Kleine representative of the Cinqueaento tradition may be Schriften," vol. 4]). set against Blake, the "creator as destroyer."21 I 7 See Mason 1951, pp. 7-45. The opinions here are by no means can think of no Fuseli painting which would be identical with the same author's rather rash verdicts in The Mind mistaken as a Blake--in the present state of research of Henry Fuseli (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1951), pp. 26- it seems to be worthwhile to accept the challenge 29, a book that was in print when the editor first learned about and to ask why. What is needed now is a comparistic the Fuseli poems in the "North-Konvolut" (see Mason 1951, p. 21n2). investigation of the formal constituents of a number of iconographically similar works by both artists. 8 See Federmann 1927, pp. 115f., 120, 133, 135, 136, 141, 145. I should think that we all have had enough of the narrow-minded and partial quarrels between Fuselians 9 Bircher, "Zum Text," in Bircher & Guthke 1973, p. 120. and Blakeans, which often appear to be as irrelevant as they are subjective, characterized by a mutual 10 E.g., in the second Lavater ode I count upwards of forty ignorance of the results of the literature in the "modernizations," including one misreading, in a poem of not more neighboring field of studies.22 The latter, at than twenty-two lines. See Bircher & Guthke 1973, p. 90 and the least, need not be, and in the future we may try not opposite page for a reproduction of Fuseli's autograph. to 11 Bircher, "Zum Text," in Bircher & Guthke 1973, p. 119.

12 [Rear Priorities] with pedantic rage Finally, interested readers should be aware that only 1000 And [strew] with [Truisms] the unmeaning page, copies were printed, and those six years ago. Till Sense with Nonsense, Truth with Falsehood li Lamberto Vitali, Johann Heinrich Fussli: disegni e dipinti, toss't exhb. cat. Museo Poldi-Pezzoli (Milan: Electa, 1977, c. $14.00). On Fancy's wave, [sink] in Confusion lost.23 The catalogue also contains a brief essay by Gert Schiff on "Fussli in Italia," pp. [7]-12.

ll* Yvonne Boerlin-Brodbeck, Zeiohnungen des 18. Jahrhunderts aus 1 Thus, the first modern monograph, Arnold Federmann's Johann dem Basler Kupferstichkabinett (Basle: Kunstmuseum, 1978), Heinrich Fussli: Diahter und Maler 1741-1825 (Zurich and Leipzig: nos. 72-103, pp. 44-52; (c. $10.00). Orell Fussli, 1927) was published as vol. 1 of a series entitled "Monographien zur Schweizer Kunst;" similarly, the catalogue 15 Dagmar Hnikova, Johann Heinrich F'ussli 1741-1825 (Geneva: raisonne is vol. 1 of the "Oeuvrekataloge Schweizer K'unstler," Muse"e Rath, 1978; c. $9.00); as far as I can see, the entries in published for the Swiss Institute for Art Research (Gert Schiff, this 50-page leaflet are drawn entirely from the information Johann Heinrich Fussli 1741-1825, 2 vols. [Zurich: Berichthaus, supplied in Schiff 1973. When writing this note, my copy of the and Munich: Prestel, 1973]). Recently Herbert von Einem Yale catalogue, prepared by Nancy L. Pressly ($11.50) had not discussed Fuseli in his book on Deutsche Malerei des Klassizismus arrived in ; it will duly be recorded, however, in next und der Komantik 1760 bis 1840 (Munich: C. H. Beck, 1978).—It year's "Checklist." was in Rome and in that Fuseli developed from a gifted amateur into a professional artist. Still, there might be a 6 Peter A. Tomory, The Poetical Circle: Fuseli and the British kernel of truth in Pevsner's hint that Fuseli's "Swiss-ness" may (Florence: Centro Di, for the Australian Gallery Directors' explain the basic discrepancies between his and Flaxman's style Council, 1979 ["Centro Di cat. 108"]; c. $15.00), being the (see The Englishness of English Art, London: Architectural Press, second, revised and enlarged edition of A Collection of Drawings 1956, pp. 126f.). Thus, I do not mean to ridicule, in a preci- by Henry Fuseli, R. A. (Auckland, N. Z.: City Art Gallery, 1967), 56

which has been reviewed by Michael J. Tolley in Blake Newsletter 21 This, of course, is not to say that there is no "Tradition" 11, 3 (Winter 1969), 51-52. or "Antiquity" in Blake's work; he made use of them, however, in

17 a radically non-affirmative way. To simplify matters: where the See Tomory 1979, p. 15. Swiss-born painter draws on artistic and intellectual traditions, he does so as an "imitator" (understood according to the defini- 18 Gert Schiff and Paola Viotto, L'opera aompleta di F'ussli tion in his own first Academy lecture); Blake's strengths and (Milan: Rizzoli, 1977 ["Classici dell'Arte," vol. 91, n.s. vol. weaknesses, on the other hand, originate in a method of "Copying" 6]; Italian Lire 3000. / c. $4.50 paperback edition, Lire 8000. / based on "Inspiration," not "Mnemosyne." See Ralph N. Wornum, c. $10.50 hardcover. ed., Lectures by the Royal Academicians: Barry, Opie, and Fuseli (London: Henry'G. Bohn, 1848), p. 348, and Blake's Milton 1. 19 Gert Schiff, et al., Henry Fuseli 1741-1825 (London: Tate 22 Gallery Publications Department, 1975). The game was started contemporarily by Stothard, and among its devotees we find Gilchrist, Fedennann, Albert S. Roe, Gert Schiff, and all too many others. 20 See Anthony F. Blunt, The Art of William Blake (New York and London: Columbia University Press, 1959), p. 41. 23 Fuseli's "Dunciad of Painting," in Bircher & Guthke 1973, p. 81,

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StFRANCIS HALL BRISTO^PhTel^J. )| , m Monday 25^AUGUST to Saturday 30thAUGUST. 1980 TIMES 1230:100 815

i Vol** ofA&clr- The of Abel, a play produced by Marlborough College for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Directed by Michael Davis. $& 25-30 August 1980.

Reviewed by David Worrall Sponsored by the RichardDemarco Galleryi

rom Aardvark to Z Theatre Company, in music, week of the Festival, sponsored by the prestigious dance, mime and drama, there were over 330 and enterprising Richard Demarco Gallery. F shows, including 180 premieres, on offer at the 1980 Edinburgh Festi val Fringe. Listed in the The Edinburgh Fringe is a unique jewel in the Fringe program between a revue called West Ham v. cultural life of Britain. For three weeks in late Hearts and a play named The Human Puppet Theatre, summer a bewildering mixture of professional and the eye was arrested by the detail that Marlborough amateur groups from both sides of the Atlantic College's production of Blake's The Chost of Abel compete to fill excruciatingly uncomfortable seats would be playing three s hows a day during the second hastily installed in countless church halls, schools,