Fuseli, Blake and the Romantic Imagination, Tate Britain

Both Oliver and I observed how popular the weird, supernatural and fantastic themes of the 1770-1830s are during our three-hour visit to the Tate Britain. The landmark gallery was packed full.

A red curtain hangs in the first room of the show; it was pulled right out of Fuseli’s most famous work, The Nightmare, which spearheads the exhibition. The curtain’s colour matches closely that of the carpet and walls and gives the entire room the intended atmosphere.

I noted how quickly and with apparent easy the supernatural in the exhibition’s flagship artist Fuseli turns into the spiritual in the exhibition’s afterthought artist Blake. I can see the reason for the connection – the obvious ‘paranormal other’ – but I hesitate to make the connection because they don’t necessarily compliment each other in the intended way. Perhaps I simply dislike the morbid fascination with horror. I don’t see the redeeming features of the genre that would naturally alleviate any perceived downward pull on Blake’s work that the nearby Fuselis might evince.

The later stages of the chronologically hung exhibit turn what was a serious fascination with terror into the comical (at least we see it as such today). It appeared to be a thorough exhibition. Again, this exhibit highlights how people are fascinated with extraordinary events. The artist’s source of inspiration lies outside of everyday life.

Tags: gallery, London