Oedipus Cursing His Son Polynices

Fuseli's Oedipus Cursing His Son Polynices from 1786 depicts one of the most anguished scenes in Greek tragedy — the blind Oedipus, guided by his daughters, pronouncing a terrible curse on his son who has come seeking his blessing. Oedipus Rex and Oedipus at Colonus were foundational texts of the tragic tradition that Fuseli's generation was systematically translating into visual imagery, and the psychological extremity of the Oedipus cycle — the horror of unknowing incest, the blind father's curse, the daughter's loyalty — provided material perfectly suited to Fuseli's interest in extreme emotional states. The work dates from his most productive period in London, when his position as one of the founders of British Romantic painting was being established.

Fuseli's technique creates a nightmarish atmosphere through extreme chiaroscuro and dramatically distorted figures. The blind Oedipus is rendered with terrifying, almost supernatural intensity, while the surrounding figures express horror and despair. The dark palette with sharp highlights enhances the scene's dramatic, Gothic power.