Füssli

Where one would expect to see idealized bodies in the graceful poses and proportions of ancient statues, we instead encounter women whose bodies are defined by stiff bodices, waist bands, ruched sleeves, and pointed shoes, and whose heads are crowned by hairstyles of the most complex and bizarre kind. Füssli does not depict the submissive and eroticized nudes of painters such as Boucher, Fragonard, or Ingres; rather, his female figures adopt an emphatically challenging posture. Self-confidently, the women return the viewer's gaze or ignore it altogether. As a rule, Füssli presents his women as individual figures who appear almost aloof. Gathered in groups, their activities can seem mysterious; in erotic scenes, on the other hand, the women always seem to maintain control.

There is no doubt that Füssli's interest in the female figure opened up new avenues for his graphic work; there are no works of greater technical complexity in his entire production of drawings. The exhibition and catalog explore the variety of female hairstyles, the role and presence of Sophia Rawlins in Füssli's work, and the new image of the powerful female figure, as well as the influence of the libertarian environment on the artist's creative imagination.

The exhibition in Zurich curated by Dr. Jonas Beyer, was created in close collaboration with The Courtauld, London.