Date: Monday, September 30
Time: 7 pm EST
Admission: $8

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Henry Fuseli’s painting The Nightmare has been an object of fascination and interpretation for nearly two and a half centuries. An early landmark of Romantic art, a prescient visualization of dream theory, a piece of high-brow erotica, an influence on classic horror literature, a touchstone of contemporary Gothic culture—The Nightmare can be classified in multiple, intersecting ways. It has appeared repeatedly in visual culture from the 1780s to the present, in media ranging from political cartoons to book covers to music videos; its notable fans have included Mary Shelley, Sigmund Freud, and Ken Russell. What makes it so compelling and keeps it so relevant? In this illustrated lecture, we’ll take a close look at The Nightmare and consider its ongoing ability to shock and beguile its viewers, from its first public viewing in 1782 to the present day.

Henry Fuseli (Swiss, 1741-1825), The Nightmare, 1781. Oil on canvas. Detroit Institute of Art, Founders Society Purchase with funds from Mr. and Mrs. Bert L. Smokler and Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence A. Fleischman, 55.5.A

Jessica Murphy is a museum professional with a passion for perfume. She holds a Ph.D. in art history and has worked at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Brooklyn Museum. She has also been writing about fragrance since 2007 at Now Smell This and her own blog, Perfume Professor. Since 2015 she has taught and lectured about the history and visual culture of perfumery through venues including the Brooklyn Brainery, the Institute for Art and Olfaction, the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, and the Timken Museum. You can follow her on Instagram @tinselcreation.