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Faust

Herbert Railton

1886

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century

Dominant colour

Faust is a 1886 by Herbert Railton, a Impressionism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: Herbert Railton
When & what style?: 1886 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This print shows a scene from *Faust* at the Lyceum Theatre around 1885–1888. It captures a moment on the Lorenz Platz, featuring actors Ellen Terry, Henry Irving, and George Alexander in key roles. A big change happened early on when Alexander replaced Conway as Faust. After that, the show ran for three years and boosted Alexander’s career. Look up the Victoria and Albert Museum next.

The story of this work

Overview

A print depicts the scene *The Lorenz Platz* from a production of *Faust* at the Lyceum Theatre between 1885 and 1888, featuring Ellen Terry as Margaret, Henry Irving as Mephistopheles, and H.B. Conway as Faust, with Conway later replaced by George Alexander. The illustration shows Faust and Margaret positioned in front of a church while Mephistopheles observes from beside a fountain. The production achieved significant success under Alexander’s lead, contributing to his rise in mainstream theatre and Irving’s tenure as Actor-Manager.

Read the full account in the museum source.