Illustrations for Faust: Faust in the prison of Marguerite

Illustrations for Faust: Faust in the prison of Marguerite by Eugène Delacroix is a pivotal example of French Romantic printmaking from 1828. Executed as a lithograph, this technique allowed Delacroix to achieve the deep tonal contrasts and dramatic shading necessary for illustrating Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s seminal tragedy, Faust. Delacroix created a set of eighteen large lithographs based on the first part of Goethe's poem, which proved hugely influential in popularizing the epic in France and firmly established Delacroix as the visual interpreter of the Romantic literary movement.

The scene depicts the fateful, climactic meeting between Faust and Marguerite (Gretchen) in her desolate prison cell. Having descended into madness and awaiting execution for infanticide, Marguerite is shown refusing Faust’s desperate attempt to save her. Delacroix masterfully utilizes the expressive potential of the lithograph medium, employing heavy shadows and stark highlights to heighten the psychological tension and despair inherent in the narrative. The composition focuses tightly on the figures, capturing the intense emotional drama that defined the artist’s aesthetic approach. This powerful treatment of the literary source makes the work a significant piece among Delacroix’s prints.

Completed during a period when the artist actively explored narrative subjects rooted in profound human emotion, this interpretation remains one of the most celebrated visuals associated with the Faust legend. Delacroix's ability to translate the emotional complexity of the text into a tangible visual form cemented his status as a leading figure of his generation in France. This important impression is housed in the permanent collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.