Who painted Illustrations for Faust: Marguerite with the wheel?

Illustrations for Faust: Marguerite with the wheel was painted by Eugène Delacroix in 1828.

Where can I see Illustrations for Faust: Marguerite with the wheel?

Illustrations for Faust: Marguerite with the wheel is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

What movement is Illustrations for Faust: Marguerite with the wheel?

Illustrations for Faust: Marguerite with the wheel is associated with Romanticism.

Can I buy a print of Illustrations for Faust: Marguerite with the wheel?

Museum-quality prints of Illustrations for Faust: Marguerite with the wheel are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Illustrations for Faust: Marguerite with the wheel

Eugène Delacroix , 1828

Illustrations for Faust: Marguerite with the wheel is a print by the Romanticist artist Eugène Delacroix. It dates from 1828 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Accession no.: 1933.145.11
Credit line: Gift of The Print Club of Cleveland

About this work

Overview

Eugène Delacroix produced the print Illustrations for Faust: Marguerite with the Wheel in 1828. The work belongs to his early Romantic output and is currently part of the Cleveland Museum of Art’s collection. It presents a solitary figure from Goethe’s drama, captured in a moment of domestic activity.

Subject & Meaning

The image portrays Marguerite, the tragic heroine of Goethe’s Faust, seated at a spinning wheel. The quiet concentration of her hands and the sparse surroundings suggest an interior world of contemplation and isolation, echoing the poem’s themes of loneliness and fate.

Technique & Style

Delacroix employs rapid, sketch‑like lines that convey movement and immediacy rather than precise detail. The drawing reflects his Romantic preference for expressive gesture, a stance influenced by the dynamism of Rubens and the tonal richness of Venetian Renaissance painters.

Context

Created as part of a series of illustrations for Goethe’s Faust, the print illustrates Delacroix’s early engagement with literary subjects. It demonstrates his interest in translating dramatic narrative into visual form, a hallmark of French Romanticism.

Illustrations for Faust: Faust and Wagner, Eugène Delacroix

Own this work as a print

Artist & collection

Artist

Eugène Delacroix

Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix ( DEL-ə-krwah, -⁠KRWAH; French:; 26 April 1798 – 13 August 1863) was a French Romantic artist who was regarded as the leader of the French Romantic school.