Three Figures

Eugène Delacroix prints carry the color, drama and energy of French Romanticism. Delacroix was the leader of the Romantic school in France, the painter of Liberty Leading the People and of vivid scenes from his journey to Morocco. This collection gathers art prints of his famous history paintings alongside his prowling tigers and lions, North African studies, literary scenes from Shakespeare and Goethe, and quick sketches full of movement.

About Eugène Delacroix

Eugène Delacroix was born on 26 April 1798 at Charenton-Saint-Maurice, near Paris. His father died in 1805 and his mother in 1814, leaving him an orphan at 16. The statesman Talleyrand, a friend of the family, supported him through much of his career. In 1815 he began training with Pierre-Narcisse Guérin in the neoclassical style of Jacques-Louis David.

Théodore Géricault's Raft of the Medusa made a deep impression on him, and his first major painting, The Barque of Dante, was accepted at the Paris Salon of 1822. The Massacre at Chios followed in 1824, and Liberty Leading the People in 1830, bought by the French government but soon taken out of public view as too inflammatory.

In 1832 he traveled to Spain and North Africa with a French diplomatic mission to Morocco, a journey that gave him subjects for the rest of his life. He went on to paint large murals and religious works, including the Saints-Anges chapel in the church of Saint-Sulpice in Paris. He died in Paris on 13 August 1863.

Style and Subjects

Where his rival Ingres prized clear outline and smooth finish, Delacroix looked to Rubens and the Venetian painters and put color and movement first. His brushwork is loose and expressive, and his study of how colors act on each other later shaped the Impressionists.

His subjects are dramatic: battles and revolutions, scenes from Byron, Shakespeare, Dante and Goethe, wild animals in combat, and the people, horses and interiors he saw in Morocco and Algeria. Even his small sketches of tigers, horses and riders are charged with energy.

Famous Works

• The Barque of Dante (1822), Louvre, Paris. Dante and Virgil cross the river of the underworld, his first major Salon painting.
• The Massacre at Chios (1824), Louvre, Paris. A painting of the suffering of Greek civilians during the war of independence.
• Death of Sardanapalus (1827), Louvre, Paris. The doomed Assyrian king watches calmly as his palace is destroyed around him.
• Liberty Leading the People (1830), Louvre, Paris. Liberty, holding the tricolor flag, leads Parisians over the barricades in the July Revolution.
• Young Tiger Playing with its Mother (1830), Louvre, Paris. One of his many studies of big cats.
• The Women of Algiers (1834), Louvre, Paris. A quiet, richly colored interior inspired by his North African journey.
• Jewish Wedding in Morocco (1839), Louvre, Paris. A festive celebration recorded from his visit to Morocco.
• The Abduction of Rebecca (1846), Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. A violent scene from Walter Scott's Ivanhoe.

Decorating with Delacroix Prints

Delacroix's big history paintings are statement pieces. Liberty Leading the People or Death of Sardanapalus over a sofa or in a dining room brings drama, rich reds and deep shadows to the space, and they suit dark walls and classic gilt frames.

The tiger and lion studies work beautifully in a study, library or hallway, and the North African scenes, with their warm ochres and blues, fit living rooms with rugs, brass and natural textures. His small sketches make an interesting gallery wall for a creative workspace.

FAQ

What art movement was Eugène Delacroix part of?

Delacroix was the leader of the French Romantic school. He put color, movement and emotion ahead of the smooth Neoclassical style of his rival Ingres.

What is Delacroix's most famous painting?

Liberty Leading the People (1830), in the Louvre, is his best-known work. It shows Liberty leading the people of Paris over the barricades during the July Revolution.

Where can I see Delacroix's original paintings?

The Louvre in Paris has the largest group, including Liberty Leading the People, The Barque of Dante and The Women of Algiers. His murals are in the church of Saint-Sulpice, and other works are in Lyon, Lille, Bordeaux and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

How can you recognize a Delacroix painting?

Look for vivid color, energetic brushwork, swirling movement and dramatic subjects such as battles, wild animals and scenes from literature. His North African pictures add warm light and rich textiles.

Why did Delacroix travel to Morocco?

In 1832 he joined a French diplomatic mission to Morocco, traveling through Spain and North Africa. The people, horses, interiors and light he saw there inspired paintings for the rest of his life.

Related Artists

• Théodore Géricault — friend and model, whose Raft of the Medusa inspired his first major painting
• Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres — his great Neoclassical rival
• Peter Paul Rubens — the Flemish master whose color and movement he studied
• Pierre-Narcisse Guérin — his teacher in Paris
• Théodore Chassériau — younger French Romantic painter who also traveled to Algeria