Von Holst was irresistibly drawn to macabre, supernatural subjects, often infused with refined eroticism. This unusual mix fascinated some critics and alarmed others, who judged his imagination “morbid.” A formative period in Germany profoundly shaped his style. In 1829, in Dresden, he met the engraver Moritz Retzsch, whose illustrations of Goethe and Shakespeare were widely admired in England. Early influences from German Gothic linearity later merged with the vivid, dramatic impact of Delacroix’s Faust lithographs (1828), guiding von Holst toward fluid forms, brilliant color contrasts, and dark atmospheric backgrounds.

Goethe’s Faust remained his greatest source of inspiration, especially the Walpurgisnacht—the Witches’ Sabbath. The large painting exhibited at the British Institution in 1833, now identified as Scene Inspired by Goethe’s Faust, is a rare visual interpretation of this episode. The canvas presents a dancing couple encircled by demonic creatures in a moonlit forest clearing. Unusually, the scene reads from right to left.

At the center, Faust—whose face resembles a self-portrait of the artist—dances with a ghostly young woman. Her pale, marble-like complexion, swirling blond braids, and transparent dress give her an ethereal presence. She has been interpreted as Lilith, the seductive demoness mentioned by Goethe, or simply as a young witch. Her movements seem to dominate Faust, who follows her with lowered gaze, as if bewitched.

To the right stands Gretchen, identifiable by the iron shackle on her wrist, recalling her imprisonment in the tragedy. Around her appear symbolic figures: the Devil in his red costume with a human-headed serpent; Valentin, her brother, shown in the pose associated with his curse; and a mysterious youth dressed like a Dominican, crowned with laurel and holding a pastoral staff. He may represent the Church, suggesting a spiritual struggle for Gretchen’s soul.

The left side of the painting alludes to Faust’s death and possible salvation: the gaping jaws of Hell, Titania the fairy queen with her crescent-moon diadem, and an angel scattering roses along the Devil’s path. Thus the composition reflects guilt on the right, redemption on the left.

Art historian Gert Schiff offered an explanation for the reversed reading: if one imagines standing in Faust’s place, the painting aligns with the traditional layout of Last Judgment scenes, with Hell on the sinner’s left and salvation on his right. Seen this way, von Holst’s work becomes both an interpretation of Faust and a profound meditation on spiritual conflict.