• Original Art: Handwritten draft of Faust, Part II by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
• Era: 1832
• Region: Germany

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) was the greatest poet, writer, and dramatist in German literature, as well as an eminent natural philosopher. His astute sense of observation allowed him to capture in his writing the multifaceted complexity of human behaviour.

In masterpieces like The Sorrows of Young Werther he created the prototype of the Romantic hero, and in Faust, perhaps Germany’s greatest contribution to world literature, he penned a harrowing portrait of one man’s pact with the devil. A tragic play in two parts, Faust reworks the old legend of Doctor Faustus, a magician who sold his soul to the devil. Goethe transformed the tale into a profound exploration of human nature, morality, and destiny. This classic of European literature occupied Goethe for most of his life, from his late teens until just before his death. Although based on a medieval myth, the work draws parallels to modern-day society and humankind’s search for meaning in the world. The legacy of Goethe’s immense life works, and his expression of new ideas, continue to resonate to this day.

Reproduced here is a handwritten dialogue between Faust and Mephistopheles from Goethe’s manuscript of Faust, Part II, and on the back cover is an engraving of the two characters by German illustrator and draftsman Julius Nisle. Goethe is no stranger to our Embellished Manuscripts Collection and has featured on three separate releases – an excerpt from the travel journal he kept on his two-year Italian journey, a letter written to him by his friend Friedrich von Schiller, and a reproduction of Franz Schubert’s musical adaption of Goethe’s Erlkönig poem. We are delighted to have Goethe, one of the 19th century’s most active and gifted minds, return to our Paperblanks collection.