Art, Symbol & Imagination
The Slender Devil and the Black Circle: Clarke’s Faust
A tailed, narrow-limbed figure leans on a staff before a black circle. A thorny curve sweeps around the body and across the foreground. The long tail and attenuated legs make balance seem provisional, despite the figure’s composed stance. Small patterned points connect its body to the surrounding curve. Clarke uses empty paper as actively as ink, letting the circular dark isolate the torso while the ornament extends beyond it.
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Citation
Harry Clarke. "The Slender Devil and the Black Circle: Clarke’s Faust" [editorial title]. In Faust, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe; translated by Bayard Taylor; illustrations by Harry Clarke. Undated Arden Book Company edition; Faust Part One, Bayard Taylor translation, Harry Clarke illustrations, undated edition, Arden Book Company. Source scan leaf 44. Lumitheca. /gallery/image/faust-clarke-43
Source details
Editorial title and description. Source details from the Library catalogue.
Complete source design inspected individually. Editorial title; surrounding paper and unrelated text cropped away, integrated ornament retained. No tonal alteration.
Sources
From the book
FaustJohann Wolfgang von Goethe; translated by Bayard Taylor; illustrations by Harry ClarkeUndated editionMore from this book
The Haloed Mother and the Candle: Clarke’s Faust
The Giant Figure and the Candle: Clarke’s Faust
Faust and His Dark Companion: Harry Clarke’s PlateRelated illustrations
Cite this illustration
Harry Clarke. The Slender Devil and the Black Circle: Clarke’s Faust. Faust. Scan leaf 44. Lumitheca. https://lumitheca.com/gallery/image/faust-clarke-43