Ugolino and His Sons Starving to Death in the Tower 1806

Henry Fuseli's "Ugolino and His Sons Starving to Death in the Tower" (1806) is a haunting depiction of the tragic tale from Dante's "Inferno." The drawing, housed at the Art Institute of Chicago, captures the horrifying scene of the Count Ugolino, imprisoned in a tower with his sons, as they succumb to starvation. Fuseli's dramatic use of light and shadow emphasizes the despair and desperation of the figures, their contorted poses and skeletal forms conveying the torment they endure. The work is a powerful testament to the artist's interest in the darker aspects of human nature and his ability to translate literary themes into compelling visual narratives.