Eugène Delacroix

Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix ( born April 26, 1798 in Charenton -Saint -Maurice, a suburb of Paris; † August 13, 1863 in Paris) was one of the most important French painter, and is due to the liveliness of his imagination and for his generous dealing with the colors as a forerunner of Impressionism. He presented each year at the Paris Salon paintings whose passionate subjects caused a stir and frequently shocked.

The work of Delacroix are indeed associated with the French romance, he declined but for herself, too be added to the flow becoming popular of the Romantic school. He was the model for many impressionist decided by the romantic school and the classicism demarcated itself.

Life

Delacroix's mother came from the cabinetmaker Oeben family, his father, Charles -François Delacroix was a member of the revolutionary government and foreign minister until 1797. He then worked as ambassador to Holland. During this time, Delacroix was born. However, there is substantial evidence that his father was Charles Maurice de Talleyrand in truth. Represented is the thesis of Talleyrand as a producer of the famous painter, inter alia, by Franz Blei, Alfred Duff Cooper, 1st Viscount Norwich, and Orieux. These authors thereby invoke the physiognomic similarity of Talleyrand and Delacroix, the impossibility of the biological paternity of Delacroix's nominal father, the generation timing as a result of venereal ailment - which was only resolved several months after conception - was not able to have children, and to the promotion of the young Delacroix by an anonymous but powerful and wealthy benefactors.

A few months after Charles -François Delacroix became prefect of the Gironde, the family moved to Bordeaux. His childhood was eventful, as Alexandre Dumas, a later friend, let it be known to posterity. At school, his musical talent noticed. After 1805, Charles -François Delacroix had died, the family moved a few months later returned to Paris. Here Eugène Delacroix attended the Lycée Impérial, where he developed a taste for literature. He spent his holidays in a Gothic monastery in Normandy, which belonged to a cousin. The ruins impressed him so much that he began to paint. By his uncle Jean -Henri Riesener encouraged the two visited from time to time the studio of Pierre -Narcisse Guérin. His mother died in 1814 and Eugène moved to his sister. A year later, he began studying at the studio of Guerin. In 1816 he enrolled at the École nationale supérieure des beaux a -arts de Paris.

Two years later, Delacroix Théodore Géricault observed in his work on the painting The Raft of the Medusa. Churned from this experience, he painted the Dante Bark, which refers to a scene from Dante Alighieri's masterpiece The Divine Comedy. This work he gave in 1822 at the Salon for the annual art exhibition - it was unconventional and attracted wide attention. The French government bought the picture and let it hang in the Palais du Luxembourg. With 24 years Delacroix left the Ecole des Beaux -Arts, began to keep a diary to analyze themselves and their environment and participated in discussions about art.

He was attracted to the Romantics. Their ideas, thoughts and ideas are reflected in his second picture The Massacre of Chios resist, which met with a divided criticism. With this picture, its meaning was not to be denied in the younger generation of painters. He was regarded as the leading painter of the Romantic period, even though he himself denied this leadership role over and over again.

Delacroix now read poetry by Lord Byron and became interested in theater. He particularly appreciated the plays of William Shakespeare and Goethe's Faust. At fist he made 17 lithographs in 1827. In the same year he exhibited his picture of The Death of Sardanapalus, which shocked the critics. Many urged him not to waste his talent in such excesses. These voices fell silent in 1831, when he exhibited The Liberty Leading the People for the glory and to commemorate the July Revolution in the salon. With this picture, he consolidated his leadership role among the painters.

Influential friends allowed Delacroix a trip to Morocco and visit the local sultan. He could now see with their own eyes the things that the Romantics had imagined in her fantasy. Delacroix was the lush colors and simple dignity of Islam impressed by the dazzling light. The at this time resulting in hundreds notes and sketches remained to him a constant source of inspiration. Studies on animals and especially his paintings of lions hunting are also an expression of this creative period.

After returning to France, the government charged him with several paintings that occupied him until his death. The fact that he worked continuously for months, constantly making designs and sketches and still directing his staff left him little free time. Distraction he found in the morning in the salons, where his wit and his intelligence were in demand. Real friends he had only a few, including George Sand and Frédéric Chopin.

At the age Delacroix, who withdrew more and more, was honored with great honor. At the World Exhibition of 1855 was dedicated a retrospective to him. In addition, he was awarded the Médaille d' Honneur Grand, became commander of the Legion of Honor and in 1857 a member of the École des Beaux -Arts, in 1859 he sent his last picture. Four years later he died of a chronic neck disorder.

Forerunner of Impressionism

Delacroix turned against the prevailing practice of the classicists of his time, in the painting gave priority to the plastic Ideal for the sake of the brightness values ​​and regarded the chromatic values ​​of the color rather than secondary. Delacroix was with other romantics like Turner believes that the painting in order to deceive their very own means, the color values ​​themselves With their help, he determined the overall effect of the image. Depending on the particular topic he first presented the colors together on the palette to influence from the outset the nature of the work. In this way, Delacroix reached an enormous wealth of color differentiation.

Also, through the use of optical mixing and reflecting colors, based on the close observation of changing light conditions, announces Delacroix's painting Impressionism to.

Works (selection)

• London, Wallace Collection:

• Paris, Musée National du Louvre:

• Lens, Louvre -Lens:

• Bordeaux, Musée des Beaux -Arts:

• St Petersburg, Hermitage:

• Stuttgart, New State Gallery Stuttgart:

• Washington, Phillips Collection:

• Vienna, Belvedere:

Famous students (selection)

• Pierre Andrieu
• Alexandre Bida
• Léon Bonnat
• Alphonse de Neuville

Later ceremony

The French National Bank issued in the years from 1978 to 1995 100 franc banknotes with his portrait.