Cand. Sc. (Philology), senior researcher, A.M. Gorky Institute of World Literature of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia, Moscow, annica@list.ru, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-9654-4744
Baroness Gertrud von Le Fort (1876–1971), an honorary Doctor of Theology at the University of Munich since 1956, is recognized within Western German studies as a representative of the German branch of Catholic Renaissance literature (Renouveau catholique). Her reputation as a «Catholic author» was largely shaped by her close association with church circles, including longstanding friendships with prominent theologians of the era — E. Troeltsch, E. Przywara, and H.U. von Balthasar — her contributions to Catholic journals, and her affinity for the late Romantic style. However, von le Fort's works transcend strictly religious literature, demonstrating her distinctive artistic vision. Her novels, which depict a secularized world and the decline of Christian culture, incorporate numerous references to contemporary philosophical concepts, particularly those of K. Jaspers, alongside the psychoanalytic imagery of K. Jung, revealing characteristics of a hermetic text. Scholars consider her «congenial introduction to the language of mysticism» (O. Biser) to be her most significant artistic achievement. This article examines the dilogy The Veil of Veronica, originally conceived by the author as a trilogy. In the first novel, The Roman Fountain (1928), traces of alchemical tradition are perceptible, whereas the second novel, The Wreath of Angels (1946), serves as a paraphrase of Goethe's Faust. Like T. Mann's Doctor Faustus, published in 1947, von le Fort's novel explores the interplay between art and the demonic. Based on an analysis of her narrative logic, it can be inferred that the function of the final part was ultimately transferred to a short story written in place of the third novel.
Gertrud von Le Fort; Renouveau catholique; “The Veil of Veronica”; Karl Jaspers; Faust; alchemical tradition.
Download textFor citing: Dobryashkina A.V. (2025) Faust and the Mirror: Gertrud Von Le Fort’s mystical dilogy The Veil Of Veronica. Human being: Image and essence. Humanitarian aspects. Moscow. INION RAN. Vol. 3 (63). pp. 184-200. DOI: 10.31249/chel/2025.03.11