Complete Collection of World Famous Painters - Delacroix

Author: He Zhengguang, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2000-12-01
Features: Preface / He Zhengguang: Eugene Delacroix (1798–1863), a brilliant French painter of the 19th century, was the epitome of the Romantic movement. He was a master of color and an exceptionally gifted poet of fantasy, known as the "Lion of Romanticism." He upheld Romanticism in defiance of the classical academic tradition, dedicating himself to painting with an unstoppable creative spirit, leaving behind over 9,100 oil paintings, 60 sketchbooks, and numerous diaries and letter collections.
In his youth, Delacroix was deeply inspired by the literary works of Shakespeare, Dante, Byron, and other renowned writers, aspiring to become a poet. His fervent interest in literature during his youth greatly benefited his later engagement in Romanticist creation. However, to understand his art, approaching it through music rather than literature is more important. He often listened to music while contemplating his paintings or drew inspiration for colors from the melodies. The rich, dazzling "color music" in his works was precisely what classical painting lacked. This quality was inherent to him.
Starting in 1822 at the age of 24, Delacroix first gained recognition with The Raft of Dante, which was selected for the Salon and praised by the renowned artist Corot. Subsequently, works such as The Slaughter at Chios (1824) and The Death of Sardanapalus (1827) were submitted to the Salon. Due to their bold compositions, brilliant colors, and daring techniques, they repeatedly provoked fierce criticism, particularly from the academic establishment. Delacroix, however, demonstrated admirable calmness. The more intense the criticism directed at him, the more diligently he responded with new works. Unlike David or Ingres, who promoted their ideologies by nurturing disciples, Delacroix occasionally employed assistants for large-scale paintings in his later years but only on a temporary basis and never formally trained apprentices. This may also be because Romanticism fundamentally relied on art rooted in personal emotion, unlike classicalism, which had fixed forms to be taught.
The poet Baudelaire praised Delacroix, saying he had a passion for passion, and his imagination often burned with white-hot intensity. He used a frenzied brush to depict this rich imagination and fervent emotion. Yet, his brushwork also contained many untamed, raw elements—his most precious inner self. He placed great importance on the enchanting colors of painting, and in the years that followed, the extreme emphasis on color in Impressionism emerged, influencing the development of 19th-century French painting.