Faust and Wagner

Faust and Wagner is a seminal lithograph created by Eugène Delacroix French, 1798-1863 in 1828. This print exemplifies the early mastery of graphic arts by the great Romantic painter. The work was rendered meticulously in black ink on light gray China paper, which was subsequently laid down onto a supportive sheet of ivory wove paper. This complex, layered medium underscores Delacroix’s deep investment in the quality of his prints, a format growing rapidly in popularity across France during the period.

The subject matter is drawn directly from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s epic tragedy Faust, capturing the eponymous scholar alongside his earnest, yet often overlooked, assistant Wagner. Delacroix created numerous illustrations relating to the German classic, finding the source material’s themes of existential longing, supernatural bargains, and high emotional drama perfectly aligned with the sensibilities of French Romanticism in the 1820s. The dense shading, atmospheric gloom, and dramatic contrast that characterize the lithograph reflect Delacroix’s ability to imbue graphic works with powerful psychological tension, pushing past the rigid aesthetics of Neoclassicism dominant in the preceding century.

This piece demonstrates Delacroix’s enduring legacy as a profound graphic artist, supplementing his celebrated career as a master oil painter. The emotional intensity captured in the work made this lithograph highly influential for subsequent artists studying the expressive potential of fine art prints. Today, the work is part of the distinguished permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. Because this 1828 creation is now in the public domain, high-quality images and related studies of Delacroix’s important early prints remain widely accessible for researchers and enthusiasts worldwide.