Marguerite's Ghost Appearing to Faust, from Faust 1828

Eugène Delacroix made this lithograph, Marguerite's Ghost Appearing to Faust, to illustrate Goethe's tragic play. Here, Faust, a scholar who makes a deal with the devil, sees a vision of Marguerite, the young woman he seduces and abandons, eventually leading to her execution for infanticide. Delacroix visualizes Faust's psychological torment through dark, swirling lines and dramatic contrasts. The composition highlights the themes of guilt, redemption, and the supernatural, central to Romanticism. Made in France, the image reflects the early 19th-century fascination with the darker aspects of human experience. Delacroix draws on the traditions of religious art while also subverting them, challenging the prevailing social norms around morality, religion, and gender. To understand this work more fully, we might explore the philosophical context of Romanticism, and the literary sources that inspired Delacroix. By situating art in its historical context, we can better appreciate how cultural values shape its meanings.