By looking at the meaning of artistic creation for Mary Shelley, William Blake and Henry Fuseli, this research argues that, through their works of art, the three artists endeavor to establish a new modern aesthetic, in order to distinguish themselves from what has already been done and propose truly original artworks that would allow them to make a place for themselves amongst the greatest artists. The several chapters of the study – focusing on unity versus diversity, beauty versus ugliness and delight versus horror – manifest that this new aesthetic is constructed around a variety of notions such as assemblage, borrowing, diversity, composite beauty, as well as fear and horror.