# Faust and Marguerite in the Garden

[View the canonical artwork record](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/scheffer-ary-r11e30afda508de/faust-and-marguerite-in-the-garden-r68586596bd4b3c>)

## Artwork

- Artist: [SCHEFFER, Ary](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/scheffer-ary-r11e30afda508de>)
- Date: 1801-1850
- Technique: Oil on canvas, 218 x 135 cm

## Commentary

Scheffer became particularly well-known as a painter of Goethe&#39;s Faust, a contemporary drama with roots in a sixteenth-century story. Scheffer&#39;s interest in the Faust story can be traced back to 1825, and between 1831 and 1858 he painted eight major compositions with themes from Faust, most of them episodes centring on Marguerite. The subject of Faust and Marguerite in the garden of her neighbour Martha who looks on with Mephistopheles comes from Part One of Goethe&#39;s Faust. The exquisitely painted Marguerite, beautiful and innocent, has a finely modeled torso, exuding a sinuous sensuality of which she appears unaware. Faust, determined to seduce her and transformed by Mephistopheles&#39; magic into a handsome youth, places his head close to her while bringing about her seduction and ultimate ruin. &lt;P&gt; &lt;TABLE ALIGN=LEFT CELLPADDING=5 BORDER=1 WIDTH=320 BGCOLOR=&#34;\#99CCCC&#34;&gt; &lt;TR VALIGN=MIDDLE&gt;&lt;TD&gt;&lt;IMG SRC=&#34;/support/gif/listen.gif&#34; BORDER=0 VALIGN=MIDDLE&gt; Suggested listening \(streaming mp3, 14 minutes\):&lt;BR&gt;&lt;A HREF=&#34;\#&#34; onClick=&#34;w=window.open \(&#39;/music1/19\_cent/gounod\_faust\_ballet.html&#39;, &#39;newWin&#39;, &#39;scrollbars=yes,status=no,dependent=yes,screenX=0,screenY=0,width=350,height=350&#39;\);w.opener=this;w.focus\(\);return true&#34;&gt;&lt;B&gt;Charles Gounod: Faust, Ballet music&lt;/B&gt;&lt;/A&gt; &lt;/TD&gt;&lt;/TR&gt;&lt;/TABLE&gt;

## Related artworks

- [Death of Gaston de Foix in the Battle of Ravenna on 11 April 1512](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/scheffer-ary-r11e30afda508de/death-of-gaston-de-foix-in-the-battle-of-ravenna-on-11-april-1512-r9b8df93f85a660>)
- [Greek Women Imploring for Assistance](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/scheffer-ary-r11e30afda508de/greek-women-imploring-for-assistance-r0535db49a26bca>)
- [Portrait of a Man at his Desk](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/scheffer-ary-r11e30afda508de/portrait-of-a-man-at-his-desk-rbef7b8566cb3fe>)
- [Portrait of Frédéric Chopin](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/scheffer-ary-r11e30afda508de/portrait-of-frdric-chopin-r320d7c645c85bd>)
- [The Death of Géricault](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/scheffer-ary-r11e30afda508de/the-death-of-gricault-r604bf9cc91111a>)
- [The Ghosts of Paolo and Francesca Appear to Dante and Virgil](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/scheffer-ary-r11e30afda508de/the-ghosts-of-paolo-and-francesca-appear-to-dante-and-virgil-rc3bc89d1dcf071>)
- [The Ghosts of Paolo and Francesca Appear to Dante and Virgil](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/scheffer-ary-r11e30afda508de/the-ghosts-of-paolo-and-francesca-appear-to-dante-and-virgil-rf3b391db2c32dd>)

## Attribution

[Web Gallery of Art](<https://beta.wga.hu/pages/about>)