Milton Dictating to His Daughter

1794

This painting by Swiss artist Henry Fuseli depicts 17th-century English poet John Milton, who became blind in his 40s, dictating his epic poem Paradise Lost to his daughter, while another woman listens intently and sews. A forerunner of the Romantic Movement, Fuseli created drama through chromatic contrast. A cool light illuminates the rosy-cheeked women and casts deep shadows around Milton’s ghostly figure and face.

Public domain · CC0
Free to download and reuse. Image courtesy of Art Institute of Chicago.

Artist

Henry Fuseli (Swiss, active in England, 1741–1825)

Date

1794

Medium

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

121.2 × 118.7 cm (47 3/4 × 46 3/4 in.); Framed: 142.9 × 130.5 cm (56 1/4 × 51 3/8 in.)

Origin

Switzerland

Collection

Art Institute of Chicago

Credit

Preston O. Morton Memorial Purchase Fund for Older Paintings