The Art of Ferdinand-Victor-Eugène Delacroix

Ferdinand-Victor-Eugène Delacroix (1798 – 1863) was a famous French painter, draft-person, lithographer, writer, art critic but most of all, he was regarded as the leader of the French Romantic school. His masterpiece Liberty Leading the People, inspired by the French revolution, famously and truly embodied the French Romantic artistic ideals.

(Delacroix, Eugène. Liberty Leading the People. c. 1830. oil on canvas. Louvre Paris, France.)

Delacroix was born in Charenton Saint-Maurice near Paris. Orphaned at age 16, he became a massive follower of the Neoclassical painter Jacques-Louis David and a talented you artist. Early in his career, Delacroix received several coveted commissions for public buildings. He painted large, typical of the current Neoclassical style in vogue during this time. 

(Delacroix, Eugène. A Girl Seated in the Cemetery  c. 1823-1824. oil on canvas. Louvre, Paris, France.)

While his contemporaries drew inspiration from classical Greek themes and the Italian Renaissance painters who valued simplicity and calm grandeur. Delacroix was unique in that he was inspired by the brushwork of the famous Peter Paul Rubens, and he drew his inspiration from the Venetian Renaissance painters. They valued the sensuous and appealed to the viewer's emotions.

(Delacroix, Eugène. The Death of Sardanapalus. c. 1827. oil on canvas. Louvre, Paris, France.)

Delacroix eventually studied under the famous artist, Théodore Géricault. He even posed as one of the figures in the grand and famous Raft of Medusa masterpiece. After the painting's completion, he was deeply influenced by the effects of its magnitude, and he began to use his art to make bold statements that revolved around an emotional response. He even tackled scenes with severe violence. The "man versus nature" theme and the use of emotion became typical of the Romantic movement during its height from 1800 - 1840.

(Delacroix, Eugène. Portrait of a Turk in a Turban. c. 1826. pastel on paper. Louvre, Paris, France.)

Géricault's Raft of Medusa and Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People are two of the most famous pieces representing the French Romantic period. The Romantics' intent was to harness the power of imagination and take the viewer on an escape from their everyday lives. Romanticism was a counter-reaction to the industrial revolution and the past Age of Enlightenment.

“I do not care for reasonable painting at all. My turbulent mind needs agitation, needs to liberate itself. There is in me some black depth that must be appeased.”
-- Ferdinand-Victor-Eugène Delacroix

(Delacroix, Eugène. Arab Horseman Attacked by a Lion. c. 1849. oil on canvas. Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL.) 

In 1832, Ambassador Charles de Mornay asked Delacroix to embark on a mission that would smooth over public relations with Morocco's Sultan Moulay Abd al-Rahman, and he couldn't refuse. He traveled through Spain, Tangiers, Algiers, and Morocco. He soon began painting architecture and the subjects he encountered in North Africa. The ancient, proud, and exotic culture moved him to write, "I am quite overwhelmed by what I have seen."

(Delacroix, Eugène. Arabs Skirmishing in the Mountains. c. 1863. oil on canvas. 

National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.)

Delacroix's work was characterized by passion and color. Rather than utilizing the clarity of the outline or the carefully modeled forms of Neoclassicism, Delacroix used incredibly expressive brushwork to capture the energy and movement of his subjects. He became known as the "master of color" for his innovative color techniques, and his work eventually inspired the future French Impressionist movement.

If you ever can see one of Delacroix's original paintings in person, be sure to get up close and observe his unique brushwork. It will reveal the artistic genius, which is still revered even by today's contemporary art critiques, and his work is much appreciated here!

Enjoy! :)

The Art of Pierre Paul Prud'hon

Pierre-Paul Prud’hon (1758 – 1823) or in English, Proudhon was a draughtsman and a portrait painter, who become one of Napoleon’s favorite artists. He trained in Dijon and then completed his studies in Italy where he became influenced by the work of Leonardo da Vinci and Correggio. Unfortunately, he led a depression after his wife gradually went insane and his mistress committed suicide in his studio.

 
(Prud’hon, Pierre-Paul. Justice and Divine Vengeance Pursuing Crime. c. 1808. oil on canvas. J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles.)

Proudhon gained a string of commissions from Napoleon of which his most celebrated painting was Justice and Divine Vengeance Pursuing Crime, a lurid narrative produced for the Palais de Justice. Proudhon also painted Napoleon’s wife, Josephine on the grounds of her home, the Chateau of Malmaison.

 
(Prud’hon, Pierre-Paul. The Empress Josephine. c. 1805. oil on canvas. Louvre, Paris.)

His use of complementary tones on the empress’s dress ensures that the main subject of the painting resonates with vibrant color, while the setting around her is dark and oppressive. The painting was commissioned shortly after she had been crowned empress, although this triumph was spoiled by her personal misfortune. Napoleon was already thinking of divorcing her because she was infertile.

 
(Prud’hon, Pierre-Paul. Portrait of the King of Rome. c. 1811. oil on canvas. Louvre, Paris.)

Proudhon’s style is characterized by a dark and disquieting Romanticism mixed with Neo-classism in a softer lyrical form. His subject matter usually revolved around the typical Neo-classical subject matter from Greek mythology, but his pictures display a slightly neurotic taste for emotionalism, which may reflect the unhappiness of his own life.

 
(Prud’hon, Pierre-Paul. Nude Viewed from Behind. c. 1810. black chalk with white highlights on blue paper. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.)

Proudhon’s classic Greek beauties are gorgeous. His figures are characterized by the extraordinary design of his lighting on the delicate poses that he chose. Many art students have and still study his figures today and his work is much appreciated here! 

Enjoy! :) 

Reference: King, R. Art. New York: DK Publishing. 2008.

The Art of Henry Fuseli

Henry Fuseli (1741 – 1825) born Johann Heinrich Fussli was a Swiss painter. He hoped to follow a career in the church, but his unconventional views soon landed him in trouble and we were obliged to leave Zurich.

 
(Fuseli, Henry. The Nightmare. c. 1781. oil on canvas.
Detroit Institute of Art, Detroit, US.)

He settled in London in 1764, still uncertain of his future direction. It was only after a meeting with Joshua Reynolds, for years later that he decided to devote himself to painting.

 
(Fuseli, Henry. Lady Macbeth. c. 1784 oil on canvas.
Louvre, Paris.)

Fusel’s breakthrough as an artist came in 1782 when his painting “The Nightmare” caused a sensation at the Royal Academy. This set the tone for his unique brand of Romanticism. It is a potent cocktail of sex and horror. The small, green, devilish-looking incubus that squats on the sleeper’s chest refers to sexualized, supernatural beings that appear in myths of many unrelated cultures, causing her to have nightmares. Peeking out from behind the curtains is a ghostly-looking horse’s head, which is significant because it is a literal rendition of the “nightmare”. The word “nightmare” comes from mara, the name of an evil demon.

 
(Fuseli, Henry. The Shepherd’s Dream. c. 1793 oil on canvas.
Tate Gallery, London.)

Most of Fuseli’s themes came from respectable literary sources, but he liked to explore the darker side of human nature. As a result, many of his pictures contain hints of suppressed violence, irrational fears, or sexual perversity.

 
(Fuseli, Henry. Ezzelin and Meduna. c. 1779 oil on canvas.
Sir John Soane’s Museum, London.)

His dark themes and subject matter have inspired many modern-day books and films such as Ken Russell’s “Gothic” released in 1986 and Eric Rohmer’s “Die Marquise von O…” released in 1976. His work is much appreciated here! 

Enjoy :) 

Reference: King, R. Art. New York: DK Publishing, 2008.