While still a novice in art, Fuseli set out for Italy, and arrived
in Bome early in 1770. Here he first changed the spelling of
his name from Fuessli to Fuseli. The works of Michael Angelo
appear to have absorbed his attention, and he also studied from
the antique, but he copied little, and when drawing from the
life, shrank from the practice of dissection.
During Fuseli's stay in Italy, which extended over eight years,
he sent two pictures to the fioyal Academy. On his way back
to Engkmd he remained some months at his native town, where,
among other pictures, he painted " The Confederacy of the
Founders of Helvetian Liberty" — a work which is still pre-
served in the Senate House at Zurich. Betuming to London
in 1778, he took part of a house in St. Martin's Lane, exhibited
three pictures at the Boyal Academy in 1780, and two years

c 2

Digitized by VjOOQIC



68 GAINSBOROUGH.
later prodnoed a work entitled " Tbe Nightmare," which was
engraved and became popular.
Li 1780 he was associated with Alderman Boydell's scheme for
prodncing illustrations from Shakespeare, and painted eight
large pictures for this series. In 1788 he was elected an
Asw)ciate, and two years later a fall member, of the B.A.
Fnseli's pencil was afterwards employed in illustrating varions
publications, including " Macklin s Poets " and " Macklin's
Bible." At a later period he painted fortypictures on a large
scale, selecting his subjects from Milton, liiese were e^ubited
under the name of "The Milton Gttllery," as a private specula-
tion of the artist, but they failed to attract the public, and after
four months the exhibition was closed at a loss.
