Henry Fuseli, R.A.

William Drummond, London
Acquired from the above, 1980

London, William Drummond, The Covent Garden Gallery, 'All the Worlds a Stage' or 'What can they be doing'?, 1980, no. 87
Morgan 2001, no. 45
Yale 2010, no. 189

Johann Caspar Lavater, Essays on Physiognomy, vol. III, 1810, p. 90

The pencil drawings: The sheet has been carefully presented and is not laid down. The sheet may have two previous fold lines running horizantally below and above the subject. The folds do not touch the drawn image. There are repairs to a previous hole/tear lower right and upper centre. The sheet has some surface dirt overall, in particular at the sheet edges. The engravings: Both have been carefully preserved and presented and have minor surface dirt overall. For further information on this lot please contact either Mark Griffith-Jones (mark.griffithjones@sothebys.com - 0044207 293 5083), Emmeline Hallmark (emmeline.hallmark@sothebys.com - 0044207 293 5407) or Nancy Bialler (nancy.bialler@sothebys.com - 001 212 606 7222).
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This enigmatic drawing was created to be engraved for the 1792 edition of Essays on Physiognomy, written by Fuseli's friend, the Swiss theologian and poet Johann Casper Lavater (1741-1801). It as been suggested that Fuseli's figure is based upon an engraving by Albrecht Altdorfer (1480-1538) entitled A Thinking Man.