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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.