Fotoreproductie van (vermoedelijk) een tekening getiteld 'Mephisto, Martha en Gretchen' 1878

This photogravure, likely made in Munich, captures a scene involving Mephisto, Martha, and Gretchen. Mephisto, seated with a dark and contemplative mien, embodies the spirit of negation. The contrast between his shadowed figure and the emotional upheaval of Martha and Gretchen is striking. Observe Gretchen's tearful face, a motif echoing through centuries of art. The weeping figure appears in ancient Roman sarcophagi, a symbol of mourning, and resurfaces in Christian art as Mary Magdalene, weeping for her sins and Christ’s suffering. The gesture of wiping tears carries its own weight. Is it sorrow? Remorse? This shared human experience, rendered here, taps into our collective memory, a subconscious understanding of grief that transcends time. This image is a palimpsest, layers of historical and cultural meaning interwoven with profound psychological depth. The weight of sorrow, the stain of guilt – these are not bound by time but resonate across the ages.