A Practice in Hermeneutic Methodologies

I was deeply interested in the post-structuralist concept of hermeneutics discussed in this week’s chapter. The process dissected iconographical approaches and took into account how interpretations fluctuate through history and spark new discourse as a piece evolves through its ever growing reception history. The examples presented in the book reminded me of my first year in university and my beginning attempts at grappling with newer and more complex knowledge on art history. So using an old favorite composition of mine, I want to work through how that work’s influences are impacted through this work’s reception as well as how the piece has evolved from its original iconography. This piece is Henry Fuseli’s The Nightmare.

As a marquis composition from the romantic era used as a visual embodiment of the heart of the gothic movement, Fuseli’s piece has gone on to inspire countless gothic tales and visual parallels in the horror genre across all artistic disciplines. In its conception and as an example of its time, the romantics were often inspired by the works of the Baroque- most especially Caravaggio. As Caravaggio was recognized for his rich use of chiaroscuro lighting techniques and emphasizing natural detail such as fabric texture and skin blemishes, the romantics were deeply moved by the drama of his compositions and the honesty he evoked through his naturalism. Those influences are expressed in The Nightmare quite dramatically as the succubus figure embodies the grotesque detail that define his expression and conveys the “ugly” characteristics subjected in naturalist styles. Continually, the woman’s languid position with an agonized muscle tension use the naturalism of the model to evoke a moving composition of horror and fear within the dreaming figure. These details are then met with the stark chiaroscuro lighting that deepens the shadows of the background and highlights the mare watching the scene. Caravaggio’s influence is clearly presented in Fuseli’s work and this use of such similar compositional details continually drag Caravaggio into romanticism discourse even as his work marks the turning point from mannerism to baroque.

In relation to the continued reception behind the painting, The Nightmare has been used as a visual example of vampirism and the horrors of rape culture within contemporary gothic scholarship. The image was used in the book and film franchise Twilight as the leading character first researches vampirism and has since evolved into a common image discovered through the search engine “vampire.” Even as the figure atop the woman is up for debate, historical scholarship has often labeled him a succubus; this has changed as vampire media has claimed the painting. These receptions and iconographical tribulations have led the mare figure- the painting’s namesake- to blend further and further into the shadows of its own composition. As Fuseli’s painting has been further adopted into pop culture, it has found itself more and more distanced from its own title and its own meaning within its historical context and genre.

Looking at these hermeneutic complexities in The Nightmare, there can be seen a myriad of changes and attributions claimed through the varied reception of the piece alone. The iconography is further questioned, the Baroque roots of its style seem closer aligned, and the piece feels estranged from its romantic counterparts. I wonder how Fuseli would react knowing his work has been interwoven with the genre of teen paranormal romance.

Reading Source

Cothren, Michael, and Anne D’Alleva. Methods and Theories of Art History Third Edition. London: Laurence King Publishing, 2021.

Image Source

Fuseli, Henry. The Nightmare, oil on canvas. 1781.