The Changeling by Henry Fuseli (Interpretation and Analysis)

The Changeling
Source: Art Institute of Chicago 

Swiss artist Henry Fuseli can best be described as a painter of horror. Although his work encompassed a variety of topics, his most memorable pieces touch on the liminal space between ordinary life and the world of supernatural horrors.

Fuseli’s art revels in the weird and dramatic, and The Changeling certainly fits that description. The drawing depicts a common piece of European folklore: the changeling. According to legend, a changeling is a fairy child who is left in place of a human infant.

The Changeling depicts one such moment of exchange. Here, we can see two women kneeling over a crib containing a fairy child. Their faces betray their horror as they realize that their charge has been abducted. In the background, a fairy can be seen flying out the window with the human child in tow. The entirety of this simple story is rendered in monochrome gray wash and graphite. It is direct and to the point, but powerful.

In my opinion, the fear of the changeling can best be explained by thinking about Freud’s theory of the uncanny, which describes how something familiar can become unsettling. According to the theory, it can be deeply disturbing to the human mind to encounter something familiar in an unfamiliar or eerie setting because it becomes difficult to distinguish good and bad. In the case of the changeling, the supposed fairy child is frightening because it takes on the appearance and role of the real child, making it difficult for the parent to distinguish the real child from the imposter. Thus, it is more frightening to encounter a changeling than an obvious monster.

Fuseli’s work is most closely aligned with the Romantic movement, which focused on intense emotional experiences, the power of nature, and individualism. Romantic artists were particularly interested in tackling subjects that could not be easily explained or rationalized by contemporary scientists and thinkers. The existential horror inspired by the idea of a changeling child cannot be explained through reason or logic; it can only be explored by delving into the human psyche.

Fuseli recognizes this in The Changeling. Though the drawing is rough and unpolished, it taps into a raw and visceral feeling. Simply put, the genius of The Changeling is its authenticity.