Faust: Gretchen and Mephistopheles in the Church Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1 1848 July DGR described the drawing thus: “Margaret, having abandoned virtue and caused the deaths of her mother and brother, is tormented by the Evil Spirit at Mass, during the chaunt of the ‘Dies Irae’” ( Fredeman, <hi rend="i">WMR, The P. R. B. Journal</hi> , facing page 110 ).
<artist/> <location/> <bibl/> <note/> </citnpictorial> <citnmythic> <name/> <culture/> <bibl/> <note/> </citnmythic> <citnhistorical> <event/> <place/> <date/> <bibl/> <note/> </citnhistorical> <citnautobiographical> <name/> <place/> <date/> <bibl/> <note/> </citnautobiographical> <citnscenic> <place/> <date/> <bibl/> <note/> </citnscenic> </listcitn> </source> <commentaries> <head>Commentary</head> <section type="intro"> <head>Introduction</head> <p>This drawing was much admired by Millais when he first saw it in the summer of 1848. Hunt recommended that DGR submit it for the Royal Academy's annual exhibition of 1848, scheduled for September.</p> <p>The Faust legend (especially as articulated in Goethe's <bibl> <xref doc="a." link="dead"> <title> <hi rend="i">Faust</hi> ) was a favorite subject for DGR from as early as 1846 (see commentary for <hi rend="i">Faust: Mephistopheles Outside Gretchen's Cell</hi> ).

Textual History: Composition

Textual History: Revision

Production History

DGR drew the picture and submitted it to the Cyclographic Society for criticism in July 1848. Millais's lengthy critique survives (see Surtees, <hi rend="i">A Catalogue Raisonné</hi> , vol. 1, 8 ). DGR completely recast the drawing in a second version. A study for the first version remains in a private collection.

Reception

Iconographic

Pictorial

Historical

Literary

Translation

Autobiographical

DGR and Walter Howell Deverell founded the Cyclographic Society in 1848. It was intended as a club whose members would submit their work to the group for discussion and criticism. The society did not survive very long because most of the members' work was not sufficiently interesting or competent.

Bibliographic

Benedetti, <hi rend="i">Dante Gabriel Rossetti</hi> , 162-163. Fredeman, <hi rend="i">WMR, The P. R. B. Journal</hi> , facing page 110. Grieve, “Rossetti's Illustrations for Poe,” <hi rend="i">Apollo</hi> 97 (1973), 142-145. Marillier, <hi rend="i">DGR: An Illustrated Memorial</hi> , 73. <hi rend="i">The Pre–Raphaelites, Tate 1984</hi> , 241. Surtees, <hi rend="i">A Catalogue Raisonné</hi> , vol. 1, 7-8 (no. 34). WMR, Family Letters vol. 1, 120-121.

Private Collection pen and ink drawing Dante Gabriel Rossetti, An Illustrated Memorial of His Art and Life H. C. Marillier 1899 0 Dante Gabriel Rossetti, An Illustrated Memorial of His Art and Life H. C. Marillier 1899 0 Faust: Gretchen and Mephistopheles in the Church DGR 1848 July July 1848 pen and ink 3 Faust: Gretchen and Mephistopheles in the Church DGR 1848 1848 pen and brown ink 2 Faust: Gretchen and Mephistopheles in the Church DGR 1848 (circa) pencil 1