Sleeping Woman with a Cupid (Hush)

Henry Fuseli|Robert Pollard

1780–90 · Etching and drypoint; published state · Drawings and Prints

Fuseli himself etched this mysterious erotic image of a woman dozing on a cushioned divan. She wears a classically styled gown that exposes her breasts and has been hit by an invisible arrow released by Cupid, who hovers at upper left. Her dropped book rests near mating butterflies and Greek letters on a pillar translate as "Silence" or "Hush," warning us not to disturb the sleeper's dreams.

Artist

Henry Fuseli|Robert Pollard

Date

1780–90

Medium

Etching and drypoint; published state

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1955