The Slaying of Red Comyn by Robert the Bruce
1810–16
Medium
Pen and brown iron gall ink, with brush and brown and gray wash, over chalk (recto), and black chalk (verso), on tan laid paper
Dimensions
31.5 × 20.6 cm (12 7/16 × 8 1/8 in.)
Classification
pen and iron gall ink
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
151453
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Fuseli illustrates the moment immediately after Robert the Bruce kills his rival to the Scottish throne, John “Red” Comyn. This event took place in 1306 in the Franciscan monastery in Dumfries, Scotland. Fuseli places the swaggering Robert front stage, nonchalantly resheathing his sword. In the background, the dying Comyn has collapsed in the arms of the friars. The figure of Robert—whose exaggerated musculature was inspired by both ancient Roman sculpture and Michelangelo—is seen from slightly...
About the Artist
Henry Fuseli · 1741–1825
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...