Fuseli Nightmare

The Nightmare is a 1781 oil painting by the Swiss artist Fuseli. Since its creation, it was remained his best known work. Interpretation had varied widely. The canvas portrays both a dreaming woman and the content of her nightmare. The incubus and the horse's head supposedly refer to the contemporary belief about nightmares. They have been ascribed more specific meanings by theorists. Critics were suprised by the sexuality of the painting.