FU'SELL HENRY, was the second eon of John Caspar Fuessli, portrait and laushicapo painter, and author of ' Lives of the Helvetic Painters.' He was bona at Zurich iu Switzerland, 7th February, 1741. The elder Fueseli gave his son a classical education, and brought him up for the church. Ile accordingly entered the Caroline College at.
Zurich, and having taken his degree of Master of Arts, entered into holy orders in 1761 ; but having written n pamphlet, io conjunction with Laveter, in which the misconduct of a magistrate was exposed, the friends of the two young men deemed it prudent that they should travel for awhile. After travelling in Germany he came to England, partly it appears as in agent for the purpose of establishing some regular plan of literary communication between that country and Ilk native place. Sir Andrew Mitchell, the British minister at the court of Prussia, furuished him with introductions ; and he supported himself for some time by treoslating from German, French, and Italian into Euglish, and from English into German. The 'Letters' of Lady 11. W. Montagu were among the works he translated into German. in 1765 he published a translation of Winckeltnanu'a ' Itetlectiows on the Painting and Sculpture of the Auciente: In the following year he set out as travelling tutor to Lord Chewton, the eldest eon of Earl Waldegrave; but he aeon threw up his charge in displeasure. About this time he became acquainted with Sir Joshua Reynolds, to whom he showed some of his drawings. Reynolds recolninended him to devote himself entirely to painting, mud he followed the advice.
In 1770 he went to Italy, at which time he altered his name to Puma to suit the Italian pronunciation, and this form he retained after his return to England. In 1778 he visited Ziirich on his way back to England. On his return he was engaged by Alderman Boyden, with other artists, to paint pictures for the alderman's Shakspere Gallery. About tho same period he edited the English edition of Lavater's work on physioguomy, and assisted Cowper in his trans lation of Homer, with remarks and corrections. In 1788 he married Miss Sophia Rawlins of Bath Eaton, and subsequently was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy. In 1790 he was elected Royal Academician. In 1799 he completed a number of pictures, designed from the works of Milton, to form a Milton Gallery, the idea of which was suggested by the Shakspore Gallery; but he realised nothing by their exhibition. In the same year he was elected professor of painting to the Royal Academy, and in /803 keeper. Hie edition of Pilkingtou's ' Lives of the Painters ' was brought out iu 1S05. Caoova, upon his visit to England, was much struck with Fuseli's works; and on the sculptor's return to Rome, at his recommendation Fuseli was elected a member of the first class in the Academy of St. Luke's.
Fuseli died April 15, 1825, and was buried in the crypt of St. Paul's cathedral.
Fuseli had great facility in learning languages. Ile said that he could think and write with equal ease in Frooch, Italian, and English, but with most power in German. His English writings are in a style not purely idiomatic, but they are full of nerve and originality of expression. His lectures contain (if we except some of his remarks upon contemporaries, which were sometimes all but unavoidably modified by personal feelings) some of the best criticism on the flue arts which had then appeared in the Inuguage. Though singularly abrupt and irritable in temper, be made and retained many friendships which were only broken by death. Lavnter, Bonnycastla, and Johuson (the publisher), were among the oldest of his friends, and ho survived them alL Many curious anecdotes are told of the freedom nod quaint ness with which he passed his strictures on all peraous iu matters of art, literature, or manner..
Fueeli made the works of Michel Angelo his chief study. Ile also moulded his style much upon the model of the colossal statues on Monte Cavallo at Rome. Ills colouring is low in tone, and overspread with a sickly, greenish, leaden, or yellowish hue ; his hand was hasty, and not skilful. He would sometimes work with his colours dry in the powder, rubbing them up with his brush. Probably from a deficiency in his early study, his drawing was not so oorrect as his ambition was daring. His auntomy sometimes resembles the mecha nical and coarse ostentation of an artificial myotomical model rather than the free, varying, and blended forms of nature. The proportions are frequeutly exaggerated, and the action violent and intemperate. In his desire to display the naked figure he often sacrifices his better knowledge, and violate, all rules of costume ; and there is sometimes much that Is extravagant and fantastical in hie design. Ilia figures set about the commonestepccupationis, straining every feature, finger, and too, with superfluous energy. On the other hand, there is alwnya life and action in his figures, some eveut going forward in the design. In dreamy or terrible subjects he is often grand and impressive. Fuseli loved his art with a genuine affection, and the bold nun original thoughts of his vigorous if not exalted mind were impressed upon the canvass without misgiving. Ile only wanted a better training of his hand, and a more temperate habit of thinking, to have made a great paiuter. As it is, ho has helped to vindicate the supremacy of design (including invention) and expression over the inferior parts of the art, and has done much to advance a better taste in this country.
(Knowles, Ltfe of Furth, prefixed to Fusers works, 3 vols. 8vo,1831.)