Not currently on display at the V&A

Mephistopheles

Bust
ca. 1875 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Antokolsky (1843-1902) was the foremost Russian sculptor of the late 19th century. He trained in St. Petersburg and Rome, where the model for this bust was produced, and eventually settled in Paris. He is responsible for some powerful statues of Ivan the Terrible and Peter the Great as well as various Romantic subjects of which this bust is characteristic. It is derived from a marble bust of 1875 formerly in the Alexander III Museum, now known as the "State Russian Museum" or the "Russian Museum", St. Petersburg.

Mephistopheles, as Satan's emissary, was a central figure in the Faust legend which, following Goethe's drama, became a popular subject in painting, literature and opera.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleMephistopheles (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Brief description
Bust, bronze, 'Mephistopheles', by Mark Antokol'sky, Russia, ca.1875
Physical description
Mephistopheles is shown undraped, looking straight ahead; he has a small goatee beard, and sharp features, including a slightly twisted mouth. The bust is signed.
Dimensions
  • Height: 43cm
  • Width: 26cm
  • Depth: 24cm
Dims taken by Scp Oct 05
Marks and inscriptions
'Antokolski'
Credit line
Given by Mr and Mrs A. Gourvitch
Object history
Given by Mr and Mrs A Gourvitch, Chelsea Park Gardens, London, in 1982.
Summary
Antokolsky (1843-1902) was the foremost Russian sculptor of the late 19th century. He trained in St. Petersburg and Rome, where the model for this bust was produced, and eventually settled in Paris. He is responsible for some powerful statues of Ivan the Terrible and Peter the Great as well as various Romantic subjects of which this bust is characteristic. It is derived from a marble bust of 1875 formerly in the Alexander III Museum, now known as the "State Russian Museum" or the "Russian Museum", St. Petersburg.

Mephistopheles, as Satan's emissary, was a central figure in the Faust legend which, following Goethe's drama, became a popular subject in painting, literature and opera.
Bibliographic reference
Thieme-Becker, Allgemeines Lexikon…., Leipzig, 1982, p. 547
Collection
Accession number
A.9-1982

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Record createdNovember 5, 2002
Record URL
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