
Eugène DelacroixFrance, 1798–1863Peut-on la contempler ?
Chicago, États-Unis
Elle appartient à la collection, mais n’est pas présentée en ce moment.
This nightime scene depicts the demon Mephistopheles flying above a cityscape. The stark contrasts of light and dark emphasize his ghoulish form, accentuated with sharp claws and toenails. This lithograph is the prologue to Eugène Delacroix’s series illustrating key episodes from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s drama Faust. An ambitious German scholar, Faust makes a deal with Mephistopheles to gain fame and fortune but, in return, Faust loses his soul and morality.
Art Institute of ChicagoCC BY 4.0