In 1837, Carl Gustav Carus (1789-1869) exhibited Evening Twilight: On Goethe's Faust at the Dresden Academy Exhibition. However, the artwork, executed in oil on canvas, subsequently disappeared without a trace. Its existence was only recorded in writing in the artist's catalogue raisonné published in the 1960s.
Carl Gustav Carus was born in Leipzig and quickly gained recognition for his diverse talents. By the age of just 22, he had earned doctorates in both philosophy and medicine. A prominent figure in Romantic medicine, he advocated for holistic treatments, practised in various fields, and authored numerous works. He also served as personal physician to several Saxon kings and pursued painting, influenced significantly by his encounter with Caspar David Friedrich in 1817.
See also: Caspar David Friedrich: The Romantic Melancholy
Another significant influence on Carus' artistic endeavours was his friendship with Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Carus was deeply engaged with Goethe's masterpiece Faust, published in 1808, both for its literary and artistic aspects. For instance, in 1821, he depicted a scene from the tragedy known as the Easter Stroll: Doctor Faust and his assistant Wagner stroll outside the city gates, encountering a black poodle, which Faust eventually takes under his care. It's during this encounter that the dog and Mephistopheles reveal their true identities ("So that was the poodle's core!"). Carus sold this painting to Dowager Queen Karoline of Bavaria in 1831, and it now resides in the Folkwang Museum collection in Essen.
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Just a few years after selling the painting, Carus revisited the motif and produced the artwork showcased in Dresden in 1837, which later vanished without a trace.
In 2021, the painting finally resurfaced in Thuringian private ownership, and on 2 March 2024, it was featured as one of the highlights of the 'Fine Art of the 16th-21st Centuries' auction at Schmidt Kunstauktionen Dresden. It was estimated to fetch between €100,000 and €140,000. Bidding commenced at €80,000 but quickly surpassed this amount. Eventually, the hammer fell at €280,000 (about £239,300), marking a new auction record for Carl Gustav Carus. His previous record was established in 2015 at Grisebach in Berlin when Phantasie aus der Alpenwelt (1822) sold for €225,000.
