Bio: Eugene Delacroix

(1798-1863)
Eugne Delacroix was born in 1798, te son o! "arles Delacroix wo
a# ser$e# brie!l% as &inister o! !oreign a!!airs un#er te Director%
an# wo was on a &ission to 'ollan#, as te a&bassa#or o! te (renc
)e*ublic, at te ti&e o! is son+s birt, 'is &oter, -ictoire .eben,
was #escen#e# !ro& a !a&il% o! artisans an# cra!ts&en, Bot *arents
#ie# earl%, te !ater in 18/0, te &oter in 1811, lea$ing Eugne in
te care o! is ol#er sister, 'enriette #e -erninac, wi!e o! a !or&er
a&bassa#or to 2ur3e% an# &inister-*leni*otentiar% to 4wit5erlan#, 2e
!all o! 6a*oleon+s e&*ire s*elle# te te&*orar% ruin o! tis !a&il% o!
ig o!!icials, an# wit it tat o! %oung Delacroix, But te in!luential
relations a&ong wic is birt an# cil#oo# a# *lace# i& were to
*rotect is subse7uent career, *articularl% in tose *erio#s, a!ter 183/
an# again a!ter 180/, wen Bona*artist interests were on te rise, 8s a
cil# e a# *la%e# on te 3nees o! 2alle%ran#, is !ater+s successor in
te 9inistr% o! (oreign 8!!airs an# a !a&il% !rien#, :t as been
suggeste#, but not *ro$en, tat 2alle%ran#, to wo& Delacroix in later
li!e bore a &ar3e# !acial rese&blance, was in !act is actual !ater,
:n 1810 Delacroix, age# se$enteen, began to ta3e *ainting lessons !ro&
;ierre <u=rin (1771-1833) troug wose stu#io 2=o#ore <ericault
a# brie!l% an# turbulentl% *asse# a little earlier, <u=rin was a tolerant
teacer wo attracte# te sons o! te &i##le class, 'is classicist
instruction a# little e!!ect on Delacroix> it was less i&*ortant !or is
#e$elo*&ent tan te literar% e#ucation tat e a# recei$e# at te
l%c=e, 2e exa&*le o! <ericault wit wo& e was ac7uainte# an# !or
wose )a!t o! te 9e#usa (?ou$re) e *ose# in 1818 le!t its &ar3 on
i&, but in e$er% essential res*ect e was, li3e &an% o! is
conte&*oraries, a sel!-taugt artist, wose real scool was te ?ou$re,
were, e$en a!ter te re&o$al o! te 6a*oleonic loot, te s*len#or o!
2itian, -eronese, an# )ubens sone brigtl% enoug to ecli*se te
scool o! Da$i#, 8&ong is !ellow co*%ists in its galleries e &et te
%oung Englis&an )icar# ;ar3es Bonington (18/1-18@8) wo,
togeter wit is !rien# )a%&on# 4oulier, was to intro#uce i& to
watercolor *ainting an# a Britis tra#ition o! coloris&, an# wo el*e#
to awa3en is interest in 4a3es*eare, B%ron, an# 4cott, te &ain
literar% sources o! is ro&anticis&,
Delacroix+ stu#ent wor3 #i# not sow extraor#inar% *ro&ise, but in
18@@ is 4alon #ebut, te Bar3 o! Dante (?ou$re), attracte# so&e
attention, 2oug it as a #eser$e# *lace in te istor% o! art, as te
start o! a great career, it is still an i&&ature e!!ort, ea$%-an#e# in its
co&bination o! re&iniscences o! <ericault, )ubens, an# 9icelangelo,
an# incoerent in its co&*osition, 2wo %ears later, is 9assacres o!
"ios (?ou$re) burst u*on te 4alon o! 18@1 as Aa terri!%ing %&n in
onor o! #oo& an# irre&e#iable su!!eringA ("arles Bau#elaire,
A?+.eu$re et la $ie #+Eugne Delacroix,A *ublise# as ?+8rt
ro&anti7ue, ;aris, 1869), 2e *icture+s resonant ar&onies ga$e an
earl% in#ication o! Delacroix+ &aster% o! color, an# its lust!ul stress on
orror an# #eat struc3 a note tat was to soun# trougout &uc o!
is subse7uent wor3, 2e go$ern&ent+s *urcase o! te wor3 enable#
Delacroix to $isit Englan# in te s*ring an# su&&er o! 18@0, 'e a#
alrea#% seen lan#sca*es b% Bon "onstable (1776-1837) in ;aris wile
at wor3 on 9assacres o! "ios, (urter i&*ressions o! Englis art an#
literature gatere# #uring is &onts in ?on#on were to in!luence i&
in te !ollowing %ears, as is e$i#ent in is ;ortrait o! Baron 4witer
(18@6, 6ational <aller%, ?on#on), a bra$ura *er!or&ance in te
&anner o! 2o&as ?awrence (1769-183/), an# in is use o! subCects
!ro& 4cott an# B%ron, 'is Execution o! te Doge 9arino (aliero
(18@6, Dallace "ollection, ?on#on), base# on a *la% b% B%ron an#
*ainte# wit so&eting o! Bonington+s ner$ous brilliance, is te
crowning acie$e&ent o! is Englis *ase,
8!ter tese *aintings o! ex7uisite !inis an# relati$el% s&all !or&at, te
colossal, orgiastic Deat o! 4ar#ana*alus (?ou$re), sown at te 4alon
o! 18@7, ca&e as a soc3 to te *ublic, Delacroix a# ta3en te subCect
!ro& a *la% b% B%ron but su**lie# te $olu*tuous cast o! tis scene o!
slaugter !ro& is own i&agination, 'e *ai# !or is au#acit% wit a
te&*orar% loss o! o!!icial !a$or, 2e !ollowing %ears were a #i!!icult
but *ro#ucti$e *erio# #uring wic e ex*eri&ente# wit a $ariet% o!
subCects: stu#ies o! lions an# tigers, oriental scenes, sensuous nu#es,
an# turbulent battles,
2e )e$olution o! 183/ ins*ire# is one trul% *o*ular wor3, ?ibert%
?ea#ing te ;eo*le (?ou$re), :n te *lace o! te !ebrile ro&anticis& o!
is *aintings o! te 18@/s, e now use# a larger, &ore sober &anner
an# colors o! &ute# intensit%, Dealing wit tis &o#ern subCect e
acie$e# *oetic e!!ect witout &orbi#it% or !alse gran#eur: e$en
?ibert%, abun#antl% *%sical, as te e!!ect o! a##ing a note o!
actualit% rater tan allegorical arti!ice to te tu&ult on te barrica#e,
(or once, *ublic an# critics unite# in *raise o! te artist, an# te
go$ern&ent o! ?ouis-;ili**e awar#e# i& te ?egion o! 'onor,
:n earl% 183@ Delacroix $isite# 6ort 8!rica in te suite o! a (renc
e&bass% to te sultan o! 9orocco, :sla&ic 8!rica sur*asse# all is
ex*ectations, 2e classical beaut% !or wic e a# $ainl% loo3e#
a&ong te *laster casts in <u=rin+s stu#io e now encountere# along
roa#si#es un#er te 8!rican s3%, 'e !ille# s3etcboo3s wit
obser$ations o! 8rab li!e an# gatere# a store o! i#eas tat ser$e# i&
!or te rest o! is li!e, .n is return to ;aris, e began a series o!
oriental subCects, not B%ronic !antasies now but recollections o! actual
ex*erience, 8lgerian Do&en in 2eir 8*art&ent (1831, ?ou$re)
recor#s is recollection o! a $isit to a are& wit te 7uiet autorit% o!
!act rater tan te !ictions o! ro&antic exoticis&, 2e sensuous
intensit% o! te *ainting results !ro& st%listic &eans tat see& si&*ler
but are in !act &ore co&*lex tan tose tat *ro#uce# te sensational
4ar#ana*alus, :t signals te attain&ent o! is &ature st%le, 7uieter but
gran#er tan is earlier &anner, &ore &onu&ental %et no less
ex*ressi$e, &ore restraine# but &ore *ower!ul,
Earl% in is career, Delacroix a# been aile# b% te %oung (renc
ro&antics as teir lea#er, During te 183/s e outgrew tis a!!iliation,
not because e a# cange# is course, but because is !ellow
ro&antics were !ailing to 3ee* u* wit i&, 2e Aro&antic battleA a#
been won too easil%, 8!ter 183/ (renc ro&anticis& beca&e *o*ular
an# #ie#, :ts !ollowers, agreeable but &inor talents !or te &ost *art,
ra*i#l% #ecline# into *ictures7ueness an# &anneris&, Delacroix, b%
contrast, increasingl% i#enti!ie# i&sel! wit te gran# tra#itions o! te
-enetians an# (le&ings, wit-eronese an# )ubens abo$e all, 'is later
wor3s ex*resse# a growing concern wit tra#itional subCect &atter an#
&onu&ental !or&, :n is Entr% o! te "rusa#ers into "onstantino*le
(?ou$re), sown at te 4alon o! 181/, e resu&e# co&*ositional
#e$ices tat e a# use# earlier in 9assacres o! "ios, but te !or&er
$iolence is stille# b% te so&ber ar&on% o! te colors an# te weigt
o! te great colonna#e tat #o&inates te scene, :n is Bustice o! 2raCan
(9us=e #es Beaux-8rts, )ouen) sown at te sa&e 4alon, an e$en
&ore elaborate arcitectural setting contains, wit its strong $erticals
an# #iagonals, te ani&ation o! te !igures,
Bein# Delacroix+ new concern wit co&*ositional structure an#
balance la% te ex*erience e a# gaine# in carr%ing out te
arcitectural #ecorations tat occu*ie# i& #uring te latter *art o! is
li!e, 2e go$ern&ents o! ?ouis-;ili**e an# 6a*oleon ::: !a$ore# i&
wit i&*ortant &onu&ental co&&issions, beginning in 1833 wit te
allegorical #ecorations o! te 4alon #u )oi in te ;alais Bourbon
("a&ber o! De*uties), 2is was closel% !ollowe# b% te e$en larger
enter*rise o! te ;alais Bourbon+s librar% (1838-1817), were
Delacroix co$ere# a succession o! #o&es an# *en#enti$es wit scenes
celebrating te eroic lineage o! te arts an# sciences, in a #ra&atic
succession beginning wit .r*eus+ gi!t o! ci$ili5ation to &an3in# an#
en#ing wit 8ttila+s #estruction o! :tal%, Be!ore tis was !inise#, e
recei$e# te !urter co&&ission o! #ecorating te librar% o! te 4enate
in te ?uxe&bourg ;alace (181/-1816), were, in te central #o&e, e
*ainte# te *resentation o! Dante to 'o&er an# te oter great &en o!
<ree3 an# )o&an anti7uit%, to s%&boli5e te &eeting o! te classical
*agan wit te &o#ern "ristian culture, 2ere !ollowe# te ceiling o!
te <alerie #+8*ollon in te ?ou$re (180/-1801), te #ecorations in te
4alon #e la ;aix o! te 'Etel #e -ille o! ;aris (180@-1801, #estro%e# in
1871), an# te "a*el o! te 'ol% 8ngels in te curc o! 4aint-
4ul*ice (1801-1861), 6o oter *ainter o! te ti&e was so continuousl%
e&*lo%e# in &onu&ental wor3 on te gran#est scale, none was gi$en
suc o**ortunities to triu&* in *ublic on ceilings, #o&es, an# walls,
'is &urals, exce*tional acie$e&ents in a ti&e wen &onu&ental
*ainting languise#, *ro$e tat tis ner$ousl% !rail artist a# te energ%
to co&*ose on i&&ense sur!aces an# te &ental $igor to in$ent i&ages
tat #o&inate tose walls, 'is su*eriorit% reste# in *art on is &aster%
o! color tat *ro$i#e# bot te e&otional !orce an# te !or&al structure
o! is &urals, in *art on is co&&an# o! ex*ressi$e *anto&i&e, o! te
&o$e&ent, tension, an# clas o! bo#ies, 'e was te &ost $ersatile o!
te *ainters o! is ti&e, inclu#ing in te range o! is subCects
battle!iel# an# barrica#e, (aust an# 'a&let, ro%al tiger an# o#alis7ue,