Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
British Galleries, Room 120, The Wolfson Galleries

The Dream of Eve

Print
1804 (dated)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Object Type
This print was made using a combination of three techniques - etching, stipple etching and aquatint, which use the action of acid to create the lines, dots and shading on the metal printing plate.

Trading
This is a print after a painting by Henry Fuseli (1741-1825), which illustrates John Milton's epic poem Paradise Lost. Fuseli was a particular admirer of Milton and painted some 60 pictures illustrating episodes from his works. In 1799 and 1800 Fuseli held two exhibitions in which he exhibited 47 of his paintings of Milton's works. He then planned to publish a series of 50 prints after his paintings. This 'Milton Gallery' was a project similar to John Boydell's 'Shakespeare Gallery', in which the exhibition of paintings would publicise the prints that were later sold. In the end, only 14 prints were published, between 1803 and 1814.

Subject Depicted
This print illustrates an episode from Book V of Paradise Lost. It illustrates the moment when Eve recounts to Adam her dream of being carried aloft to the heavens by a winged figure:

... Forthwith up to the clouds
With him I flew and underneath beheld
The earth outstretch'd immense ...
... suddenly
My guide was gone, and I methought sunk down

This print shows Eve sinking back down to earth, as the winged figure leaves her.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleThe Dream of Eve
Materials and techniques
Stipple etching, etching and aquatint, ink on paper
Brief description
Print, The Dream of Eve, etched in London by Moses Haughton, aquatinted by Frederick Christian Lewis, 1804, after Henry Fuseli
Physical description
Stipple etching, etching and aquatint, printed in ink on paper
Dimensions
  • Paper height: 58.5cm
  • Paper width: 47cm
Dimensions checked: Measured; 06/05/1999 by KN
Gallery label
British Galleries: The artist Fuseli began his Milton Gallery in London in 1790 and first exhibited at Christie's in Pall Mall in 1799. Fuseli had already supplied Shakespearean images to the publisher John Boydell, who had a rival gallery in London. This was his attempt to do single-handedly for Milton what Boydell had done, with the assistance of many artists, for Shakespeare. The subject is taken from Book V of Milton's epic poem 'Paradise Lost'.(27/03/2003)
Object history
Etched in London by Moses Haughton (born about 1772, died after 1848); aquatinted by Frederick Christian Lewis (born in London, 1779, died in Enfield, Middlesex, 1856) after Henry Fuseli (born in Zurich, Switzerland, 1741, died near London, 1825)
Subjects depicted
Literary referenceMilton, Paradise Lost
Summary
Object Type
This print was made using a combination of three techniques - etching, stipple etching and aquatint, which use the action of acid to create the lines, dots and shading on the metal printing plate.

Trading
This is a print after a painting by Henry Fuseli (1741-1825), which illustrates John Milton's epic poem Paradise Lost. Fuseli was a particular admirer of Milton and painted some 60 pictures illustrating episodes from his works. In 1799 and 1800 Fuseli held two exhibitions in which he exhibited 47 of his paintings of Milton's works. He then planned to publish a series of 50 prints after his paintings. This 'Milton Gallery' was a project similar to John Boydell's 'Shakespeare Gallery', in which the exhibition of paintings would publicise the prints that were later sold. In the end, only 14 prints were published, between 1803 and 1814.

Subject Depicted
This print illustrates an episode from Book V of Paradise Lost. It illustrates the moment when Eve recounts to Adam her dream of being carried aloft to the heavens by a winged figure:

... Forthwith up to the clouds
With him I flew and underneath beheld
The earth outstretch'd immense ...
... suddenly
My guide was gone, and I methought sunk down

This print shows Eve sinking back down to earth, as the winged figure leaves her.
Collection
Accession number
15573A

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Record createdMarch 27, 2003
Record URL
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