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Mephistopheles and Margaretta

Mephistopheles and Margaretta is a 19th-century wooden double sculpture displayed in the Salar Jung Museum in Hyderabad, India. Carved on opposite sides, it shows Mephistopheles on the obverse and Margaretta on the reverse, with a mirror placed behind it so both figures can be seen at once. The work draws on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s 1808 play Faust and reflects its themes of good and evil. It was presumably made in the late 19th century by an unknown French sculptor and acquired by Salar Jung I in 1876 during his travels in France. It is one of the European Art Section’s major attractions and among the museum’s most photographed exhibits.

Mephistopheles and Margaretta wooden sculpture showing a bearded male figure, with the female side visible in the mirror behind it.
Mephistopheles and Margaretta wooden double sculpture at Salar Jung Museum.
July 2016 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Mephistopheles and Margaretta sculpture with a bearded man in elaborate attire and a woman reflected on the reverse side in a mirror.
Mephistopheles and Margaretta shown as a two-sided sculpture, with the male figure in front and the female figure visible in the mirror.
July 2018 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Mephistopheles and Margaretta carved in a tall wooden double-sided statue, with a mirror showing the female figure behind the male figure.
Mephistopheles and Margaretta, a double-sided wooden sculpture, shown with the mirrored reverse carving.
September 2021 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Mephistopheles and Margaretta wooden sculpture with a bearded man in elaborate attire and a mirrored reflection of a woman in a long gown
Mephistopheles and Margaretta, shown as a carved wooden figure with its reflection visible in a mirror.
May 2023 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Mephistopheles and Margaretta wooden sculpture with a bearded man in ornate clothing and a reflected woman in a hooded dress
Mephistopheles and Margaretta shown as a carved wooden figure with its mirrored reflection revealing the other side.
May 2023 © · CC BY-SA 4.0

Identification

TitleMephistopheles and Margaretta
Original titleMephistopheles und Margaretta
Typedouble sculpture
Formdouble human figure

Historical context

Date of creationPresumably created in the late 19th century

Creator

ArtistUnknown French sculptor

Physical characteristics

Height177.2 cm

Materials

MaterialSingle block of sycamore wood

Technique

ConstructionCarved from a single wooden block

Iconography and meaning

Historical interpretationThe choice of Faust reflects the growing interest in German subjects in late 19th-century France
Narrative contextMephistopheles helps Faust seduce Gretchen; Gretchen bears Faust's illegitimate child, drowns it after he abandons her, and is imprisoned for murder
Literary sourceJohann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust
Symbolic contrastThe innocence of Margaretta contrasted with the evil of Mephistopheles
ThemeGood and evil
Subject on reverseGretchen, head bowed, with downcast eyes and a prayer book
Subject on obverseMephistopheles, wearing a hood and boots, with a confident, arrogant expression and a smirk
DepictsMephistopheles and Gretchen (Margareta) from Goethe's Faust

Location and ownership

Current locationSalar Jung Museum, Hyderabad, India
Museum sectionEuropean Art Section, Gallery No. 16
Display methodDisplayed with a mirror behind it so both sides can be seen simultaneously
Acquired bySalar Jung I, former Prime Minister of Hyderabad

Discovery and provenance

Acquisition year1876
Place of acquisitionFrance
Acquisition contextAcquired during his travels in France

History and restoration

Museum opening date1951

Significance

Museum statusOne of the major attractions of the Salar Jung Museum's European Art Section and one of the museum's most photographed exhibits
Critical assessmentNoted for its realism and the high professionalism of its unknown creator