Falstaff in the Laundry Basket

Falstaff in the Laundry Basket is an oil on canvas painting by the Swiss-British artist Henry Fuseli, from 1792. It is held in the Kunsthaus, in Zürich.

Falstaff in the Laundry Basket
Artist	Henry Fuseli
Year	1792
Type	Oil on canvas, history painting
Dimensions	137 cm × 170 cm (54 in × 67 in)
Location	Kunsthaus, Zurich

History and description

It depicts a scene inspired by William Shakespeare's comedy The Merry Wives of Windsor. It depicts the moment Falstaff is tricked into hiding himself in a laundry basket by the two woman who are helping him. The woman look in the right, that appears reflected in the mirror, seems inspired by the artists wife, Sophia. Falstaff does have an unpleasant expression and his round, bearded face, seems mask-like. In fact, the two women plan to throw him to the Thames River.

Fuseli had long been based in Britain and was known for unusual paintings, often featuring scenes inspired from literature and theatre. The lady's costumes reflect the fashions of the late 18th-century. The painting was displayed at the Royal Academy Exhibition of 1792 at Somerset House, in London. Today it is in the collection of the Kunsthaus in his native Zurich, having been acquired in 1941.

Bibliography

• Klemm, Christian. Museum of Fine Arts Zurich. Banque Paribus, 1992.
• Lentzsch, Franziska, Fuseli: The Wild Swiss. Amber Books, 2005.