The Nightmare by Henry Füssli: a review of its association with sleep paralysis through the idea of the sublime
Arte, Individuo y Sociedad September 12, 2023 Amaia Salazar, Tonia Raquejo
Henry Füssli's 1781 painting The Nightmare accurately depicts the characteristics of sleep paralysis while also personifying the sleeper's own sensations. A comprehensive review of his work explores his motivations for depicting parasomnia and the pictorial corporeality inspired by this phenomenon. The analysis uses Burkean aesthetic categories of beauty and the sublime to show how Füssli captured parasomnia under a misogynistic gaze through the sublime. This approach reveals the psychophysical effects on the viewer and the pleasure of scopophilia in Füssli's male gaze, highlighting the iconic and repeated representation of this experience in art.