Ferdinand-Victor-Eugène Delacroix

The artist's studio stamp (L.838a);
vente Delacroix, Paris, 17-29 February 1864, possibly part of lot 655;
with P. & D. Colnaghi & Co., London 1975 (French Drawings Post Neo-Classicism);
with Sven Bruntjen, San Francisco;
Private Collection, New York

Hinge mounted in two places to the upper edge. There is some slight discoloration to the four edges and a small crease to the upper right corner. There are some small areas of surface dirt and a light brown stain to the lower centre of the sheet and a further brown stain to the tunic of the knight. The medium is generally strong throughout.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
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In 1825 Delacroix began work on a set of lithographs illustrating the works of Shakespeare and not long afterwards a further group of paintings and lithographs based on Goethe's Faust.  The figure on the right of the present sheet shares some similarities with Delacroix's portrayal of Mephistopheles in a painting now in the Wallace Collection, London.¹  An additional comparison can be drawn between the same figure and a lithograph of 1828, Méphistophélès apparaissant à Faust, in which Delacroix illustrates the moment that Mephistopheles first appears to Faust, in the guise of a travelling scholar.

1. Inv. no. P324