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Lot Essay
The catalogue for the Royal Academy exhibition in 1831, where the present work was exhibited described the painting as 'Faust preparing to dance with the young witch at the festival of the Wizards and Witches in the Hartz Mountains'. Faust: what female form is that (Lord Gower's Faust).
Goethe's Faust was published in 1808 and an English translation by Lord Leveson Gower appeared in 1823, followed by a French version illustrated with lithographs by Delacroix in 1828. It does appear that Delacroix's treatment of the subject of Faust and Lilith's dance may have been rather influential for Westall's interpretation. On the other hand, Titian's Andromeda may have inspired the figure of Lilith. Interestingly, Westall exhibited another painting illustrating Faust at the 1831 Royal Academy exhibition - the now lost Margaret at Church - incidentally also a subject for Delacroix's set of lithographs for the 1828 edition.
Goethe's Faust was published in 1808 and an English translation by Lord Leveson Gower appeared in 1823, followed by a French version illustrated with lithographs by Delacroix in 1828. It does appear that Delacroix's treatment of the subject of Faust and Lilith's dance may have been rather influential for Westall's interpretation. On the other hand, Titian's Andromeda may have inspired the figure of Lilith. Interestingly, Westall exhibited another painting illustrating Faust at the 1831 Royal Academy exhibition - the now lost Margaret at Church - incidentally also a subject for Delacroix's set of lithographs for the 1828 edition.