Eugène Delacroix
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Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix ( ; ; 26 April 1798 – 13 August 1863) was a
French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...
Romantic
artist An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating the work of art. The most common usage (in both everyday speech and academic discourse) refers to a practitioner in the visual arts o ...
who was regarded as the leader of the French Romantic school.Noon, Patrick, et al., ''Crossing the Channel: British and French Painting in the Age of Romanticism'', p. 58, Tate Publishing, 2003. In contrast to the Neoclassical perfectionism of his chief rival
Ingres Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres ( ; ; 29 August 1780 – 14 January 1867) was a French Neoclassicism, Neoclassical Painting, painter. Ingres was profoundly influenced by past artistic traditions and aspired to become the guardian of academic ...
, Delacroix took for his inspiration the art of
Rubens Sir Peter Paul Rubens ( ; ; 28 June 1577 – 30 May 1640) was a Flemish artist and diplomat. He is considered the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque tradition. Rubens' highly charged compositions reference erudite aspects of clas ...
and painters of the
Venetian Renaissance The Venetian Renaissance had a distinct character compared to the general Italian Renaissance elsewhere. The Republic of Venice was topographically distinct from the rest of the city-states of Italian Renaissance, Renaissance Italy as a result of ...
, with an attendant emphasis on colour and movement rather than clarity of outline and carefully modelled form. Dramatic and romantic content characterized the central themes of his maturity, and led him not to the classical models of Greek and Roman art, but to travel in North Africa, in search of the exotic. Friend and spiritual heir to
Théodore Géricault Jean-Louis André Théodore Géricault (; 26 September 1791 – 26 January 1824) was a French painter and lithographer, whose best-known painting is '' The Raft of the Medusa''. Despite his short life, he was one of the pioneers of the Romanti ...
, Delacroix was also inspired by
Lord Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824) was an English poet. He is one of the major figures of the Romantic movement, and is regarded as being among the greatest poets of the United Kingdom. Among his best-kno ...
, with whom he shared a strong identification with the "forces of the sublime", of nature in often violent action. However, Delacroix was given to neither sentimentality nor bombast, and his Romanticism was that of an individualist. In the words of
Baudelaire Charles Pierre Baudelaire (, ; ; 9 April 1821 – 31 August 1867) was a French poet, essayist, translator and art critic. His poems are described as exhibiting mastery of rhythm and rhyme, containing an exoticism inherited from the Romantics, an ...
, "Delacroix was passionately in love with passion, but coldly determined to express passion as clearly as possible." Together with Ingres, Delacroix is considered one of the last
old Master In art history, "Old Master" (or "old master")Old Masters De ...
s of painting and is one of the few who was ever photographed. As a painter and muralist, Delacroix's use of expressive brushstrokes and his study of the optical effects of colour profoundly shaped the work of the
Impressionist Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...
s, while his passion for the exotic inspired the artists of the
Symbolist Symbolism or symbolist may refer to: *Symbol, any object or sign that represents an idea Arts *Artistic symbol, an element of a literary, visual, or other work of art that represents an idea ** Color symbolism, the use of colors within various c ...
movement. A fine
lithographer Lithography () is a planographic method of printing originally based on the immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by the German ...
, Delacroix illustrated various works of
William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
, the Scottish author
Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European literature, European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'' (18 ...
, and the German author
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Johann Wolfgang (von) Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German polymath who is widely regarded as the most influential writer in the German language. His work has had a wide-ranging influence on Western literature, literary, Polit ...
.


Early life

Eugène Delacroix was born on 26 April 1798 at Charenton-Saint-Maurice in
Seine The Seine ( , ) is a river in northern France. Its drainage basin is in the Paris Basin (a geological relative lowland) covering most of northern France. It rises at Source-Seine, northwest of Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plat ...
, near Paris. His mother was Victoire Oeben, the daughter of the cabinetmaker
Jean-François Oeben Jean-François Oeben, or Johann Franz Oeben (9 October 1721 – 21 January 1763) was a German ébéniste (cabinetmaker) whose career was spent in Paris. He was the maternal grandfather of the painter Eugène Delacroix. Life and career Nothing is ...
. He had three much older siblings. Charles-Henri Delacroix (1779–1845) rose to the rank of General in Napoleon's army. Henriette (1780–1827) married the diplomat
Raymond de Verninac Saint-Maur Raymond de Verninac Saint-Maur (7 January 1761 – 23 April 1822) was a French diplomat. Life The Verninac family originated in Gourdon, Lot in the former province of Quercy. Jean de Verninac was a counsellor of the king in Villefranche in 1 ...
(1762–1822). Henri was born six years later. He was killed at the
Battle of Friedland The Battle of Friedland (14 June 1807) was a major engagement of the Napoleonic Wars between the armies of the French Empire commanded by Napoleon I and the armies of the Russian Empire led by General Levin August von Bennigsen. Napoleon and t ...
on 14 June 1807. There are medical reasons to believe that Eugène's legal father,
Charles-François Delacroix Charles-François Delacroix (; or Lacroix; 15 April 1741 – 26 October 1805) was a French statesman who became Minister of Foreign Affairs under the Directory. The painter Eugène Delacroix was his fourth son, although doubts have been cast on h ...
, was not able to procreate at the time of Eugène's conception. Talleyrand, who was a friend of the family and successor of Charles Delacroix as Minister of Foreign Affairs, and whom the adult Eugène resembled in appearance and character, considered himself as his real father. After assuming his office as foreign minister, Talleyrand dispatched Delacroix to The Hague in the capacity of French ambassador to the then
Batavian Republic The Batavian Republic (; ) was the Succession of states, successor state to the Dutch Republic, Republic of the Seven United Netherlands. It was proclaimed on 19 January 1795 after the Batavian Revolution and ended on 5 June 1806, with the acce ...
. Delacroix who at the time suffered from erectile dysfunction returned to Paris in early September 1797, only to find his wife pregnant. Talleyrand went on to assist Eugène in the form of numerous anonymous commissions. Throughout his career as a painter, he was protected by Talleyrand, who served successively the Restoration and king
Louis-Philippe Louis Philippe I (6 October 1773 – 26 August 1850), nicknamed the Citizen King, was King of the French from 1830 to 1848, the penultimate monarch of France, and the last French monarch to bear the title "King". He abdicated from his throne ...
, and ultimately as ambassador of France in Great Britain, and later by Charles Auguste Louis Joseph, duc de Morny, half-brother of
Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was President of France from 1848 to 1852 and then Emperor of the French from 1852 until his deposition in 1870. He was the first president, second emperor, and last ...
, Grandson of Talleyrand, and
speaker Speaker most commonly refers to: * Speaker, a person who produces speech * Loudspeaker, a device that produces sound ** Computer speakers Speaker, Speakers, or The Speaker may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * "Speaker" (song), by David ...
of the French House of Commons. His legitimate father, Charles Delacroix, died in 1805, and his mother in 1814, leaving 16-year-old Eugène an orphan. His early education was at the
Lycée Louis-le-Grand The Lycée Louis-le-Grand (), also referred to simply as Louis-le-Grand or by its acronym LLG, is a public Lycée (French secondary school, also known as sixth form college) located on Rue Saint-Jacques (Paris), rue Saint-Jacques in central Par ...
, and at the Lycée Pierre Corneille in Rouen where he steeped himself in the classics and won awards for drawing. In 1815 he began his training with
Pierre-Narcisse Guérin Pierre-Narcisse, baron Guérin (13 March 1774 – 6 July 1833) was a French painter, born in Paris. Biography A pupil of Jean-Baptiste Regnault, he carried off one of the three ''grands prix'' offered in 1796, in consequence of the competitio ...
in the neoclassical style of
Jacques-Louis David Jacques-Louis David (; 30 August 1748 – 29 December 1825) was a French painter in the Neoclassicism, Neoclassical style, considered to be the preeminent painter of the era. In the 1780s, his cerebral brand of history painting marked a change in ...
. An early church commission, ''The Virgin of the Harvest'' (1819), displays a
Raphael Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino (; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), now generally known in English as Raphael ( , ), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. List of paintings by Raphael, His work is admired for its cl ...
-esque influence, but another such commission, ''The Virgin of the Sacred Heart'' (1821), evidences a freer interpretation. It precedes the influence of the more colourful and rich style of the Flemish Baroque painter
Peter Paul Rubens Sir Peter Paul Rubens ( ; ; 28 June 1577 – 30 May 1640) was a Flemish painting, Flemish artist and diplomat. He is considered the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque painting, Flemish Baroque tradition. Rubens' highly charged comp ...
, and fellow French artist
Théodore Géricault Jean-Louis André Théodore Géricault (; 26 September 1791 – 26 January 1824) was a French painter and lithographer, whose best-known painting is '' The Raft of the Medusa''. Despite his short life, he was one of the pioneers of the Romanti ...
, whose works marked an introduction to Romanticism in art. The impact of Géricault's ''
The Raft of the Medusa ''The Raft of the Medusa'' ( ) – originally titled ''Scène de Naufrage'' (''Shipwreck Scene'') – is an oil painting of 1818–1819 by the French Romantic painter and lithographer Théodore Géricault (1791–1824). Completed when the ar ...
'' was profound, and stimulated Delacroix to produce his first major painting, '' The Barque of Dante'', which was accepted by the
Paris Salon of 1822 The Salon of 1822 was an art exhibition held at the Louvre in Paris, opening on 24 April 1822. The Salon took place every two or three years at the time and featured paintings and sculpture. One of the most notable works to be displayed was '' The ...
. The work caused a sensation, and was largely derided by the public and officialdom, yet was purchased by the State for the Luxembourg Galleries; the pattern of widespread opposition to his work, countered by a vigorous, enlightened support, would continue throughout his life.Wellington, p. xii. Two years later he again achieved popular success for his ''
The Massacre at Chios ''Scenes from the Massacre at Chios'' () is the second major oil painting by the French artist Eugène Delacroix. The work is more than four meters tall, and shows some of the horror of the wartime destruction visited on the northern Aegean Sea ...
''.


Career


''Chios'' and ''Missolonghi''

Delacroix's painting of Chios Massacre during the
Greek civil wars of 1823–1825 The Greek civil wars of 1823–1825 occurred alongside the Greek War of Independence. The conflict had both political and regional dimensions, as it pitted the Roumeliotes, who lived in mainland Greece, and shipowners from the Islands, primar ...
shows dying Greek civilians rounded up for
enslavement Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...
by the
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
. This is one of several paintings he made of contemporary events, expressing the official policy for the Greek cause in
Greek War of Independence The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. In 1826, the Greeks were assisted ...
against the Turks, the English, the Russians, and the French governments. Delacroix was quickly recognized by the authorities as a leading painter in the new Romantic style, and the picture was bought by the state. His depiction of suffering was controversial, however, as there was no glorious event taking place, no patriots raising their swords in valour as in David's ''
Oath of the Horatii ''Oath of the Horatii'' () is a large painting by the French artist Jacques-Louis David painted in 1784 and 1785 and now on display in the Louvre in Paris. The painting immediately became a huge success with critics and the public and remains one ...
'', only a disaster. Many critics deplored the painting's despairing tone; the artist
Antoine-Jean Gros Antoine-Jean Gros (; 16 March 177125 June 1835) was a French painter of historical subjects. He was granted the title of Baron Gros in 1824. Gros studied under Jacques-Louis David in Paris and began an independent artistic career during the ...
called it "a massacre of art". The pathos in the depiction of an infant clutching its dead mother had an especially powerful effect, although this detail was condemned as unfit for art by Delacroix's critics. A viewing of the paintings of
John Constable John Constable (; 11 June 1776 – 31 March 1837) was an English landscape painter in the Romanticism, Romantic tradition. Born in Suffolk, he is known principally for revolutionising the genre of landscape painting with his pictures of Dedha ...
and the watercolour sketches and art of Richard Parkes Bonnington prompted Delacroix to make extensive, freely painted changes to the sky and distant landscape. Delacroix produced a second painting in support of the Greeks in their war for independence, this time referring to the capture of
Missolonghi Missolonghi or Mesolongi (, ) is a municipality of 32,048 people (according to the 2021 census) in western Greece. The town is the capital of Aetolia-Acarnania regional unit, and the seat of the municipality of Iera Polis Mesolongiou (). Missolon ...
by Turkish forces in 1825. With a restrained palette appropriate to the allegory, "Greece Expiring on the Ruins of Missolonghi" depicts a woman in Greek costume with her breast bared, arms half-raised in an imploring gesture before the horrific scene: the suicide of the Greeks, who chose to kill themselves and destroy their city rather than surrender to the Turks. A hand is visible at the bottom, the body having been crushed by rubble. The painting serves as a monument to the people of Missolonghi and to the idea of freedom against tyrannical rule. This event interested Delacroix not only for his sympathies with the Greeks, but also because the poet
Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824) was an English poet. He is one of the major figures of the Romantic movement, and is regarded as being among the greatest poets of the United Kingdom. Among his best-kno ...
, whom Delacroix greatly admired, had died there.


Romanticism

A trip to England in 1825 included visits to
Thomas Lawrence Sir Thomas Lawrence (13 April 1769 – 7 January 1830) was an English people, English portrait painter and the fourth president of the Royal Academy. A child prodigy, he was born in Bristol and began drawing in Devizes, where his father was a ...
and
Richard Parkes Bonington Richard Parkes Bonington (25 October 1802 – 23 September 1828) was an English Romantic landscape painter. He moved to France at the age of 14 and can also be considered as a French artist, and an intermediary bringing aspects of English styl ...
, and the colour and handling of English painting provided impetus for his only full-length portrait, the elegant ''
Portrait of Louis-Auguste Schwiter ''Portrait of Louis-Auguste Schwiter'' is an oil painting on canvas executed in 1826–27 by Eugène Delacroix. The subject, who was the son of Henri César Auguste Schwiter, was a friend of the artist. The painting was an early attempt by Delac ...
'' (1826–30). At roughly the same time, Delacroix was creating romantic works of numerous themes, many of which would continue to interest him for over thirty years. By 1825, he was producing lithographs illustrating Shakespeare, and soon thereafter lithographs and paintings from
Goethe's Faust ''Faust'' ( , ) is a tragedy, tragic Play (theatre), play in two parts by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, usually known in English as ''Faust, Part One'' and ''Faust, Part Two''. Nearly all of Part One and the majority of Part Two are written in rh ...
. Paintings such as ''The Combat of the Giaour and Hassan'' (1826), and ''Woman with Parrot'' (1827), introduced subjects of violence and sensuality which would prove to be recurrent. These various romantic strands came together in '' The Death of Sardanapalus'' (1827–28). Delacroix's painting of the death of the Assyrian king
Sardanapalus According to the Greek writer Ctesias, Sardanapalus ( ; ), sometimes spelled Sardanapallus (), was the last king of Assyria, although in fact Aššur-uballiṭ II (612–605 BC) holds that distinction. Ctesias' book ''Persica'' is lost, but we ...
shows an emotionally stirring scene alive with colours, exotic costumes and tragic events. The ''Death of Sardanapalus'' depicts the besieged king watching impassively as guards carry out his orders to kill his servants, concubines and animals. The literary source is a play by Byron, although the play does not specifically mention any massacre of concubines. Sardanapalus' attitude of calm detachment is a familiar pose in Romantic imagery in this period in Europe. The painting, which was not exhibited again for many years afterward, has been regarded by some critics as a gruesome fantasy involving death and lust. Especially shocking is the struggle of a nude woman whose throat is about to be cut, a scene placed prominently in the foreground for maximum impact. However, the sensuous beauty and exotic colours of the composition make the picture appear pleasing and shocking at the same time. A variety of Romantic interests were again synthesized in ''
The Murder of the Bishop of Liège ''The Murder of the Bishop of Liège'' is an oil painting on canvas created in 1829 by the French artist Eugène Delacroix, showing the murder of Louis de Bourbon, Bishop of Liège by William I de La Marck's men during the 15th-century Wars of L ...
'' (1829). It also borrowed from a literary source, this time Scott, and depicts a scene from the
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
, that of the murder of
Louis de Bourbon, Bishop of Liège Louis de Bourbon (1438 – 30 August 1482 in Liège) was Prince-Bishop of Liège from 1456 until his death. Family He was the son of Charles I, Duke of Bourbon, and Agnes of Burgundy. His own sister Isabella was the second wife of Charles the ...
amidst an orgy sponsored by his captor, William de la Marck. Set in an immense vaulted interior which Delacroix based on sketches of the Palais de Justice in
Rouen Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine, in northwestern France. It is in the prefecture of Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one ...
and
Westminster Hall Westminster Hall is a medieval great hall which is part of the Palace of Westminster in London, England. It was erected in 1097 for William II (William Rufus), at which point it was the largest hall in Europe. The building has had various functio ...
, the drama plays out in chiaroscuro, organized around a brilliantly lit stretch of tablecloth. In 1855, a critic described the painting's vibrant handling as "Less finished than a painting, more finished than a sketch, ''The Murder of the Bishop of Liège'' was left by the painter at that supreme moment when one more stroke of the brush would have ruined everything".


''Liberty Leading the People''

Delacroix's most influential work came in 1830 with the painting ''
Liberty Leading the People ''Liberty Leading the People'' ( ) is a painting of the Romantic era by the French artist Eugène Delacroix, commemorating the July Revolution of 1830 that toppled King Charles X (''r.'' 1824–1830). A bare-breasted “woman of the people” w ...
'', which for choice of subject and technique highlights the differences between the romantic approach and the neoclassical style. Less obviously, it also differs from the Romanticism of Géricault, as exemplified by ''
The Raft of the Medusa ''The Raft of the Medusa'' ( ) – originally titled ''Scène de Naufrage'' (''Shipwreck Scene'') – is an oil painting of 1818–1819 by the French Romantic painter and lithographer Théodore Géricault (1791–1824). Completed when the ar ...
''.
Delacroix felt his composition more vividly as a whole, thought of his figures and crowds as types, and dominated them by the symbolic figure of Republican Liberty which is one of his finest plastic inventions...Wellington, p. xv.
Probably Delacroix's best-known painting, ''Liberty Leading the People'' is an unforgettable image of Parisians, having taken up arms, marching forward under the banner of the
tricolour A triband is a vexillological style which consists of three stripes arranged to form a flag. These stripes may be two or three colours, and may be charged with an emblem in the middle stripe. Not all tribands are tricolour flags, which requires t ...
representing liberty, equality, and fraternity. Although Delacroix was inspired by contemporary events to invoke this romantic image of the spirit of liberty, he seems to be trying to convey the will and character of the people, rather than glorifying the actual event, the 1830 revolution against
Charles X Charles X may refer to: * Charles X of France (1757–1836) * Charles X Gustav (1622–1660), King of Sweden * Charles, Cardinal de Bourbon (1523–1590), recognized as Charles X of France but renounced the royal title See also * * King Charle ...
, which did little other than bring a different king,
Louis Philippe I Louis Philippe I (6 October 1773 – 26 August 1850), nicknamed the Citizen King, was King of the French from 1830 to 1848, the penultimate monarch of France, and the last French monarch to bear the title "King". He abdicated from his throne ...
, to power. The warriors lying dead in the foreground offer poignant counterpoint to the symbolic female figure, who is illuminated triumphantly against a background of smoke. Although the French government bought the painting, by 1832 officials deemed its glorification of liberty too inflammatory and removed it from public view. Nonetheless, Delacroix still received many government commissions for murals and ceiling paintings. Following the
Revolution of 1848 The revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the springtime of the peoples or the springtime of nations, were a series of revolutions throughout Europe over the course of more than one year, from 1848 to 1849. It remains the most widespre ...
that saw the end of the reign of King Louis Philippe, Delacroix' painting, ''Liberty Leading the People'', was finally put on display by the newly elected president, Louis Napoleon (
Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was President of France from 1848 to 1852 and then Emperor of the French from 1852 until his deposition in 1870. He was the first president, second emperor, and last ...
). It is exhibited in the
Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...
museum in Paris; although from December 2012 until 2014 it was on exhibit at
Louvre-Lens The Louvre-Lens is an art museum located in Lens, France, approximately 200 kilometers north of Paris. It displays objects from the collections of the Musée du Louvre that are lent to the gallery on a medium- or long-term basis. The Louvre-Lens ...
in
Lens, Pas-de-Calais Lens (; ) is a city in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. It is one of the main towns of Hauts-de-France along with Lille, Valenciennes, Amiens, Roubaix, Tourcoing, Arras and Douai. The inhabitants are called ''Lensois'' (). Metro ...
. The boy holding a pistol aloft on the right is sometimes thought to be an inspiration for the
Gavroche Gavroche () is a fictional character in the 1862 novel ''Les Misérables'' by Victor Hugo. He is a boy who lives on the streets of Paris. His name has become a synonym for an urchin or Street children, street child. Gavroche plays a short yet si ...
character in
Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo, vicomte Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romanticism, Romantic author, poet, essayist, playwright, journalist, human rights activist and politician. His most famous works are the novels ''The Hunchbac ...
's 1862 novel, ''
Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' (, ) is a 19th-century French literature, French Epic (genre), epic historical fiction, historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published on 31 March 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. '' ...
''.


Religious works

Delacroix painted hundreds of religious works in his lifetime and had a strong interest in Christianity. He had many commissions for religious paintings, including pieces for the Saints-Anges chapel of Saint-Sulpice in Paris. His religious paintings and style would shift drastically depending on the needs of the commission. Some of his religious works, such as '' Christ on the Sea of Galilee'', had multiple painted versions. Delacroix's ''Pietà,'' a painting of the Virgin Mary mourning Christ after his death, was eventually redone by
Vincent Van Gogh Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art. In just over a decade, he created approximately 2,100 artworks ...
. Delacroix reflected on religion through his paintings, and his religious works often show subtle details to Biblical texts. While considered an unbeliever or agnostic, his journal and paintings reveal an openness and receptiveness to spirituality through his art.


Travel to North Africa

In 1832, Delacroix traveled to Spain and North Africa in company with the diplomat Charles-Edgar de Mornay, as part of a diplomatic mission to
Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...
shortly after the French conquered
Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...
. He went not primarily to study art, but to escape from the civilization of Paris, in hopes of seeing a more "primitive" culture. He eventually produced over 100 paintings and drawings of scenes from or based on the life of the people of North Africa, and added a new and personal chapter to the interest in
Orientalism In art history, literature, and cultural studies, Orientalism is the imitation or depiction of aspects of the Eastern world (or "Orient") by writers, designers, and artists from the Western world. Orientalist painting, particularly of the Middle ...
. Delacroix was entranced by the people and their clothes, and the trip would inform the subject matter of a great many of his future paintings. He believed that the North Africans, in their attire and their attitudes, provided a visual equivalent to the people of Classical Rome and Greece:
The Greeks and Romans are here at my door, in the Arabs who wrap themselves in a white blanket and look like Cato or Brutus...
He managed to sketch some women secretly in
Algiers Algiers is the capital city of Algeria as well as the capital of the Algiers Province; it extends over many Communes of Algeria, communes without having its own separate governing body. With 2,988,145 residents in 2008Census 14 April 2008: Offi ...
, as in the painting '' Women of Algiers in their Apartment'' (1834), but generally he encountered difficulty in finding Muslim women to pose for him because of Muslim rules requiring that women be covered. Less problematic was the painting of
Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
women in North Africa, as subjects for the ''Jewish Wedding in Morocco'' (1837–1841). While in
Tangier Tangier ( ; , , ) is a city in northwestern Morocco, on the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The city is the capital city, capital of the Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region, as well as the Tangier-Assilah Prefecture of Moroc ...
, Delacroix made many sketches of the people and the city, subjects to which he would return until the end of his life. Animals—the embodiment of romantic passion—were incorporated into paintings such as '' Arab Horses Fighting in a Stable'' (1860), ''The Lion Hunt'' (of which there exist many versions, painted between 1856 and 1861), and ''Arab Saddling his Horse'' (1855).


Musical inspirations

Delacroix drew inspiration from many sources over his career, such as the literary works of William Shakespeare and Lord Byron, and the artistry of Michelangelo. But, throughout his life, he felt a constant need for music, saying in 1855 that "nothing can be compared with the emotion caused by music; that it expresses incomparable shades of feeling." He also said, while working at Saint-Sulpice, that music put him in a state of "exaltation" that inspired his painting. It was often from music, whether the most melancholy renditions of Chopin or the "pastoral" works of Beethoven, that Delacroix was able to draw the most emotion and inspiration. At one point during his life, Delacroix befriended and made portraits of the composer Chopin; in his journal, Delacroix praised him frequently.


Murals and later life

In 1838 Delacroix exhibited ''Medea about to Kill Her Children'', which created a sensation at the Salon. His first large-scale treatment of a scene from Greek mythology, the painting depicts
Medea In Greek mythology, Medea (; ; ) is the daughter of Aeëtes, King Aeëtes of Colchis. Medea is known in most stories as a sorceress, an accomplished "wiktionary:φαρμακεία, pharmakeía" (medicinal magic), and is often depicted as a high- ...
clutching her children, dagger drawn to slay them in vengeance for her abandonment by
Jason Jason ( ; ) was an ancient Greek mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, whose quest for the Golden Fleece is featured in Greek literature. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos. He was married to the sorceress Med ...
. The three nude figures form an animated pyramid, bathed in a raking light that penetrates the grotto in which Medea has hidden. Though the painting was quickly purchased by the State, Delacroix was disappointed when it was sent to the Lille Musée des Beaux-Arts; he had intended for it to hang at the Luxembourg, where it would have joined '' The Barque of Dante'' and '' Scenes from the Massacres of Chios''. From 1833 on Delacroix received numerous commissions to decorate public buildings in Paris. In that year he began work for the Salon du Roi in the Chambre des Députés,
Palais Bourbon The Palais Bourbon () is the meeting place of the National Assembly, the lower legislative chamber of the French Parliament. It is in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, on the Rive Gauche of the Seine across from the Place de la Concorde. The offi ...
, which was not completed until 1837, and began a lifelong friendship with the female artist Marie-Élisabeth Blavot-Boulanger. For the next ten years he painted in both the Library at the Palais Bourbon and the Library at the Palais du Luxembourg. In 1843 he decorated the Church of St. Denis du Saint Sacrement with a large ''Pietà'', and from 1848 to 1850 he painted the ceiling in the
Galerie d'Apollon The Galerie d'Apollon is a large and iconic room of the Louvre Palace, on the first (upper) floor of a wing known as the Petite Galerie. Its current setup was first designed in the 1660s. It has been part of the Louvre Museum since the 1790s, was ...
of the
Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...
. From 1857 to 1861 he worked on frescoes for the Chapelle des Anges at the
Church of Saint-Sulpice Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...
in Paris. They included "
Jacob Wrestling with the Angel Jacob wrestling with the angel is described in the Book of Genesis (Genesis 32, chapter 32:22–32; also referenced in the Book of Hosea, Hosea 12, chapter 12:3–5). The "Angels in Judaism, angel" in question is referred to as "man" (: ''Ish'') a ...
", "Saint Michael Slaying the Dragon", and "The Expulsion of Heliodorus from the Temple". These commissions offered him the opportunity to compose on a large scale in an architectural setting, much as had those masters he admired,
Paolo Veronese Paolo Caliari (152819 April 1588), known as Paolo Veronese ( , ; ), was an Italian Renaissance painter based in Venice, known for extremely large history paintings of religion and mythology, such as ''The Wedding at Cana (Veronese), The Wedding ...
,
Tintoretto Jacopo Robusti (late September or early October 1518Bernari and de Vecchi 1970, p. 83.31 May 1594), best known as Tintoretto ( ; , ), was an Italian Renaissance painter of the Venetian school. His contemporaries both admired and criticized th ...
, and Rubens. The work was fatiguing, and during these years he suffered from an increasingly fragile constitution. In addition to his home in Paris, from 1844 he also lived at a small cottage in Champrosay, where he found respite in the countryside. From 1834 until his death, he was faithfully cared for by his housekeeper, Jeanne-Marie le Guillou, who zealously guarded his privacy, and whose devotion prolonged his life and his ability to continue working in his later years. In 1862 Delacroix participated in the creation of the
Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts (SNBA; ; ) was the term under which two groups of French artists united, the first for some exhibitions in the early 1860s, the second since 1890 for annual exhibitions. 1862 Established in 1862 by the painter a ...
. His friend, the writer
Théophile Gautier Pierre Jules Théophile Gautier ( , ; 30 August 1811 – 23 October 1872) was a French poet, dramatist, novelist, journalist, and art and literary critic. While an ardent defender of Romanticism, Gautier's work is difficult to classify and rema ...
, became chairman, with the painter Aimé Millet acting as deputy chairman. In addition to Delacroix, the committee was composed of the painters Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse, Carrier-Belleuse and Puvis de Chavannes. Among the exhibitors were Léon Bonnat, Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, Charles-François Daubigny, Gustave Doré, and Édouard Manet. Just after his death in 1863, the society organized a retrospective exhibition of 248 paintings and lithographs by Delacroix—and ceased to mount any further exhibitions. The winter of 1862–63 was extremely rough for Delacroix; he was suffering from a severe throat infection that worsened over the course of the season. On a trip to Champrosay, he met a friend on the train and became exhausted after their conversation. On June 1, he returned to Paris to see his doctor. Two weeks later, on June 16, he was feeling better and returned to his country house. However, by July 15, he was ill enough to see his doctor again, who said he could do nothing more for him. By then, the only food he could consume was fruit. Delacroix recognized the seriousness of his condition and wrote his will, leaving a gift for each of his friends. For his trusted housekeeper, Jenny Le Guillou, he left enough money for her to live on while instructing everything in his studio to be sold. He also included a clause forbidding any representation of his features, "whether by a death-mask or by drawing or by photography. I forbid it, expressly." On 13 August, Delacroix died, with Jenny by his side. He was buried in Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. His house, formerly situated along the canal of the Marne (river), Marne, is now near the exit of the motorway leading from Paris to central Germany.


Legacy

At the sale of his work in 1864, 9140 works were attributed to Delacroix, including 853 paintings, 1525 pastels and water colours, 6629 drawings, 109 lithographs, and over 60 sketch books. The number and quality of the drawings, whether done for constructive purposes or to capture a spontaneous movement, underscored his explanation, "Colour always occupies me, but drawing preoccupies me." Delacroix produced several fine self-portraits, and a number of memorable portraits which seem to have been done purely for pleasure, among which were the portrait of fellow artist Baron Schwiter, an inspired small oil of the violinist Niccolò Paganini, and Portrait of Frédéric Chopin and George Sand, a double portrait of his friends, the composer Frédéric Chopin and writer George Sand; the painting was cut after his death, but the individual portraits survive. On occasion Delacroix painted pure landscapes (''The Sea at Dieppe'', 1852) and still lifes (''Still Life with Lobsters'', 1826–27), both of which feature the virtuoso execution of his figure-based works. He is also well known for his ''Journal'', in which he gave eloquent expression to his thoughts on art and contemporary life. A generation of impressionists was inspired by Delacroix's work. Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Renoir and Édouard Manet, Manet made copies of his paintings, and Edgar Degas, Degas purchased the portrait of Baron Schwiter for his private collection. His painting at the church of Saint-Sulpice has been called the "finest mural painting of his time". Contemporary Chinese artist Yue Minjun has created his own interpretation of Delacroix's painting ''Massacre of Chios'', which retains the same name. Yue Minjun's painting was itself sold at Sotheby's for nearly $4.1 million in 2007. His pencil drawing ''Moorish Conversation on a Terrace'' was discovered as part of the Gurlitt Collection#Discovery, Munich Art Hoard.


Selected works

File:Eugène Ferdinand Victor Delacroix 024.jpg, ''Mademoiselle Rose'', 1817–1824,
Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...
File:Eugène Delacroix - Jeune orpheline au cimetière (vers 1824).JPG, ''Orphan Girl at the Cemetery'', 1823,
Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...
File:Eugène Delacroix - A Mortally Wounded Brigand Quenches his Thirst - WGA06165.jpg, ''A Wounded Brigand Quenches his Thirst'', 1825 File:Delacroix Louis dOrleans devoilant une maitresse.jpg, ''Louis I de Valois, Duke of Orléans, Louis of Orléans Unveiling his Mistress'', , Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection File:Delacroix, Eugène Ferdinand Victor - Woman with a Parrot - 1827.jpg, ''Woman Stroking a Parrot'', 1827, Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon File:Delacroix, La Femme aux bas blancs.jpg, ''Woman With White Socks'', 1825–1830,
Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...
File:The Battle of Poitiers (painting, Delacroix).jpeg, ''The Battle of Poitiers (painting), The Battle of Poitiers'', 1830,
Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...
File:Young tiger playing with its mother.jpg, ''A Young Tiger Playing with its Mother'', 1830,
Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...
File:Eugène Ferdinand Victor Delacroix 014.jpg, ''The Women of Algiers'', 1834,
Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...
File:Eugène Delacroix - Les Natchez, 1835 (Metropolitan Museum of Art).jpg, ''The Natchez'', 1835, Metropolitan Museum of Art File:Eugène Delacroix - Frédéric Chopin - WGA06194.jpg, ''Portrait of Frédéric Chopin and George Sand, Frédéric Chopin'', 1838,
Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...
File:Eugène Ferdinand Victor Delacroix 041.jpg, ''Portrait of Frédéric Chopin and George Sand, George Sand'', 1838, Ordrupgaard, Ordrupgaard-Museum File:Delacroix - Ophelias Tod, 1844.png, ''The Death of Ophelia (Delacroix), The Death of Ophelia'', 1838 File:Cleopatra and the Peasant.jpeg, ''Cleopatra and the Peasant'', 1838, Ackland Art Museum File:Jüdische Hochzeit in Marokko-1024.jpg, ''Jewish Wedding in Morocco'', ,
Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...
File:Hamlet und Horatio auf dem Friedhof (Eugène Ferdinand Victor Delacroix).jpg, ''Hamlet with Horatio (Hamlet), Horatio'', (the gravedigger scene), 1839,
Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...
File:Don Juan by Eugène Delacroix.jpg, ''The Shipwreck of Don Juan'', 1840,
Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...
File:La justice de Trajan.jpg, ''The Justice of Trajan'', 1840, Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rouen File:Eugène Delacroix - Christ on the Sea of Galilee - Google Art Project.jpg, ''Calming the storm, Christ on the Sea of Galilee'', 1841, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art File:Eugène Delacroix - Collision of Moorish Horsemen - Walters 376.jpg, ''Collision of Moorish Horsemen'', 1844, Walters Art Museum File:Delacroix-Marc Aurèle-MBA-Lyon.jpg, ''Last Words of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius'', 1844, File:São Jorge e o Dragão DELACROIX 1847.jpg, ''Saint George Fighting the Dragon'', 1847, Louvre Museum File:Brooklyn Museum - Desdemona Cursed by her Father (Desdemona maudite par son père) - Eugène Delacroix.jpg, ''Desdemona Cursed by her Father (Desdemona maudite par son père)'', c.1850–1854, Brooklyn Museum File:Eugène Delacroix - Marphise - Walters 3710.jpg, ''Marphise'', 1852 File:Eugène Ferdinand Victor Delacroix 025.jpg, ''Moroccan Saddles His Horse'', 1855, Hermitage Museum File:Eugène Delacroix - Lion Hunt in Morocco - WGA6228.jpg, ''Lion Hunt in Morocco'', 1855, Hermitage Museum File:Eugéne Delacroix - Rider Attacked by a Jaguar - Google Art Project.jpg, ''Rider Attacked by a Jaguar'', 1855. National Gallery in Prague File:Bride of abydos 1857 950px.jpg, ''The Bride of Abydos (Delacroix), The Bride of Abydos'', 1857,
Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...
File:Ferdinand-Victor-Eugène Delacroix - Horses Coming Out of the Sea - Google Art Project.jpg, ''Horses Leaving the Sea'', 1860, The Phillips Collection File:Arab horses fighting in a stable Eugene Delacroix 1860.jpg, '' Arab Horses Fighting in a Stable'', 1860 File:Eugène Delacroix - Shipwreck on the Coast - Google Art Project.jpg, ''Shipwreck on the Coast'', 1862, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston File:Eugène Delacroix - Ovide chez les Scythes (1862).jpg, ''Ovid among the Scythians'', 1862, version in Metropolitan Museum of Art


See also

* Jean Louis Marie Eugène Durieu, friend and photographer *
Orientalism In art history, literature, and cultural studies, Orientalism is the imitation or depiction of aspects of the Eastern world (or "Orient") by writers, designers, and artists from the Western world. Orientalist painting, particularly of the Middle ...
* Musée national Eugène Delacroix, his last apartment in Paris


References


External links

*
Bibliothèque numérique de l'INHA – ''Journal et Correspondance d'Eugène Delacroix''

Eugène Delacroix's biography, context, style and technique

The National Gallery: Delacroix

Brief biography at the Getty Museum

Le musée national Eugène Delacroix


* [http://humanities-research.exeter.ac.uk/salonartists/artist/id/2343 Harriet Griffiths & Alister Mill, Delacroix's Salon exhibition record, 1827–1849],
Database of Salon Artists, 1827–1850
' *
''Eugène Delacroix (1798–1863): Paintings, Drawings, and Prints from North American Collections''
a full text exhibition catalog from The Metropolitan Museum of Art
''Romanticism & The School of Nature : Nineteenth-century drawings and paintings from the Karen B. Cohen collection''
a full text exhibition catalog from The Metropolitan Museum of Art (see index) * Jennifer A. Thompson,
"Basket of Flowers and Fruit by Eugège Delacroix (cat. 974)"
' in
The John G. Johnson Collection: A History and Selected Works
', a Philadelphia Museum of Art free digital publication.
Eugène Delacroix: Drawings, Watercolors, Pastels, and Small Oils
16 October – 20 November, 2018 at Jill Newhouse Gallery, Exhibition catalogue {{DEFAULTSORT:Delacroix, Eugene 1798 births 1863 deaths People from Saint-Maurice, Val-de-Marne 19th-century French painters French male painters Artist authors French philhellenes French romantic painters French Orientalist painters 19th-century French diarists 19th-century French male artists Lycée Louis-le-Grand alumni Lycée Pierre-Corneille alumni Members of the Académie des beaux-arts Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery École des Beaux-Arts alumni