Mephistopheles at the Students' Inn, from Faust

Mephistopheles at the Students' Inn, from Faust is a pivotal 1828 work by the Romantic master Eugène Delacroix French, 1798-1863. This powerful image is rendered as a lithograph in black on ivory wove paper, showcasing Delacroix’s early mastery of the print medium. The choice of lithography allowed the artist to capture the dramatic tonal contrasts and dynamic compositions necessary for illustrating the German literary classic, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust.

Delacroix created a renowned series of illustrations for Faust, which significantly helped popularize Goethe’s poem across France during the 19th century. In this particular scene, the depiction of Mephistopheles among the unsuspecting students perfectly captures the blend of the sinister and the mundane that defines the narrative. The print highlights the devil's subtle infiltration into human society, a common theme explored by Romantic artists of the period. Delacroix's dramatic draftsmanship imbues the character with a cynical energy that captivated contemporary audiences.

As a key example of French graphic arts from the Romantic period, this classification as a fine print emphasizes Delacroix's important contribution beyond traditional oil painting. Today, this influential work is held in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. While the original is preserved in the museum, the enduring artistic legacy of these illustrations means many high-resolution prints based on this piece are now made widely accessible through public domain initiatives, allowing global study of the master's definitive interpretation of the Faust legend.