Eugene Delacroix

EUGENE DELACROIX BY DOROTHY BUSSY DUCKWORTH AND CO. 3 HENRIETTA STREBX, COVEKT GARDEN POETSAIT OF EUGENE DELACROIX PAINTED BY HIMSELF Frontispiece SOUVESTRE THIS book could, not have been written without my husbands knowledge and help. D. B. CONTENTS Introduction Delacroixs birth His parentage Guerins studio Geri cault Early friendships The Fieldings Bonington Light loves Enthusiasm for art and poetry Ill health First pictures Dante et Firgile i II DaviMsm Its origin Its doctrines Gros Gericault Le Radeau de la Meduse Its realism Dante et Firgile Its reception by the critics . . . .23 III Delacroixs mental and moral discipline Le Massacre de Scio The Salon of 1824 Constable and the English painters Their influence on Delacroix His visit to England Representation, of Faust Influence of stage on Delacroix 37 be CONSENTS IV PAGE Salon of 1827 Classics and Romantics Sardanafalus Marino Fallero Violent attacks of critics Illustra tions of Faust and Hamlet LEveque de Liege Boissy cPAnglas The revolution of 1830 Romanti cism in art and literature Le2 Juillet . . .51 V Journey to Morocco Its influence on Delacroixs art Les Femmes tfAlger Delacroix begins his great decorations Hemicycle of Orpheus in the library of the Chamber of Deputies Ceiling of the Galerie dApollon at the Louvre Chapel of St. Sulpice Delacroix as decorator 70 VI Number and variety of Delacroixs minor works La Barque de Don Juan La Justice de Trajan Les Croises a Constantinople Exhibition of 1855 Salon of 1859 Ovide chez les Scythes Last years Cham prosay Habits Social relations Increasing ill health and solitude Death Posthumous sale . . 84 CONTENTS VII P Delacroixs technique Juxtaposition of colours Division of tonesPrecursor of Impressionists by his observa tions of light and shade His execution His opinions on manual dexterityOn the study and the imitation of the old masters On Beauty His antagonism with Ingres His hatred of Realism Art an interpretation of Nature His influence His place in the history of art