Hagen and the Nymphs of the Danube
1802
Medium
Graphite, pen and brown ink, watercolor and gouache on cream wove paper
Dimensions
12 5/16 x 13 1/4 in. (31.2 x 33.6 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 1994
Accession Number
1994.375
Tags
Art Historical Context
Henry Fuseli's *Hagen and the Ns of the Danube*1802) is a mesmerizing drawing that plunges viewers into a world of Germanic legend. The Swiss-born British artist, a key figure in Romanticism, drew inspiration from epic tales like the *Nibelungenlied*, the fierce warrior Hagen is linked to the Danube River—here evoked through ethereal nymphs and dynamic horses. Created late in Fuseli's career, this work captures his signature flair for the dramatic and supernatural, blending human intensity with mythical allure. Executed on cream wove paper with graphite, pen and brown ink, watercolor, and gou...
About the Artist
Henry Fuseli
Henry Fuseli (1741-1825), born Johann Heinrich Füssli in Zürich, was a Swiss-British painter whose visionary works exploring dreams, nightmares, and psychological terror made him one of the most original figures of the Romantic movement. His art bridged Neoclassical discipline with Romantic emotionalism, creating images of supernatural intensity that would influence artists from William Blake to t...