Illustrations for Faust: Faust seeks to allure Marguerite

Illustrations for Faust: Faust seeks to allure Marguerite, created by Eugène Delacroix in 1828, belongs to the artist's celebrated series of lithographs inspired by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s tragic drama. Delacroix, a leading figure of the French Romantic movement, produced seventeen striking prints accompanying the French translation of Faust, which proved instrumental in popularizing the German epic across Europe.

This specific work captures the pivotal moment where the enchanted Faust endeavors to allure the pious Marguerite. Delacroix masters the dramatic potential inherent in the lithograph technique, utilizing deep, velvety blacks and sharp contrasts of light and shadow to heighten the psychological tension between the figures. The print emphasizes Faust's intense desire and Marguerite’s tentative withdrawal, typical of the heightened emotionalism favored by artists working in France during the 1820s. Delacroix’s interpretation deviated from traditional classical illustration, instead focusing on the inner psychological turmoil of the characters.

Delacroix’s commitment to the graphic arts expanded his artistic influence beyond the salon. While these original 1828 prints are highly valued historical documents, the commercial success of the series ensured wide distribution and cemented the artist's reputation as a brilliant illustrator. This significant early example of Romantic graphic art is held within the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, and high-resolution reproductions of certain key works from the series are often available through public domain archives, allowing wider study of this important set of illustrations for Faust.