At Delacroix' studio sale, held six months after his death in 1864, crowds and critics were astonished at both the abundance and the multi-disciplinary nature of the work on display, the life's vision of a man praised by Baudelaire for being the last great artist of the Renaissance period and the first of the Modern. But Delacroix himself was well aware of the position he wanted to occupy. Taking his cue from Rubens in both lifestyle and visual inventiveness, he took the order of classical composition and allied it to a universally appreciated symbolic and allegorical intent, producing from that marriage works of unmatched integrity and sensuality. From the spectacular Salon reception in 1824 to a work such as the major Scenes from the Chios Massacre (when the term Romantique was first applied to his style) through to the liberating and controversial carnality of The Agony in the Garden, Delacroix' genius in graphic design, in the liberation and reinvention of colour, and in the portrayal of bodies was never in doubt. His numerous sketchbooks attest to a personality committed to the most truthful results, in both his Goyaesque fantasias of horror, cruelty and sacrifice and in his huge historical canvases. Excessive, monumental, Byronic even, this Victor Hugo of the art world has proved profoundly influential, his technique studied by movements as diverse as Impressionism, Expressionism and the Abstract painters of mid-century. Leaving the self-indulgence of the Romantics far behind, the nobility of Delacroix' spirit will continue to speak to any and every age.

In this new monograph, part of Phaidon’s Art & Ideas series, Simon Lee, Senior Lecturer in the History of Art the University of Reading, examines the work of Delacroix within the framework of his turbulent times, as France experienced the upheavals of the Napoleonic era. Written in a lively and accessible style, and incorporating the latest scholarship on the artist, Lee provides fresh analyses into the life and times of Delacroix and uncovers the creative process behind his most famous works.

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Verdana} Eugène Delacroix (1798–1863) was one of the towering figures to emerge in France in the wake of Napoleon. No other artist of the nineteenth century balanced a reverence for the past with such a strong ambition and spirit of innovation. Distinguishing himself from many other talented young artists in Paris, he gained renown in the 1820s for his novel subject matter, theatrical sense of composition, vibrant palette, and vigorous painterly technique. His vast production—including some eight hundred paintings, prints in a variety of media, and thousands of drawings and pages of writing—won the admiration of countless writers and artists, including Charles Baudelaire, Paul Cèzanne, and Pablo Picasso. This comprehensive monograph closely examines the full breadth of Delacroix’s career, including his engagement with the work of his predecessors, his fascination with the natural world, his interest in Lord Byron and the Greek War of Independence, and the profound influence of his voyage to North Africa in 1832. It brings to life his relationships with his contemporaries, ranging from the painters Pierre Narcisse Guèrin and Antoine Jean Gros to Gustave Courbet, as well as his exploration of literary, historical, and biblical themes, his writing in personal journals, and his triumphant exhibition at the Exposition Universelle of 1855. Richly illustrated and encompassing the entire range and diversity of his art, from grand paintings to intimate drawings, Delacroix illuminates how this intrepid figure changed the course of European painting by heeding “a call for the liberty of art.”

A handsome volume exploring Delacroix's works, his artistic contemporaries, and the generations of great artists he inspired Eugène Delacroix (1789-1863), a dominant figure in 19th-century French art, was a complex and contradictory painter whose legacy is deep and enduring. This important, beautifully illustrated book considers Delacroix in his own time, alongside contemporaries such as Courbet, Fromentin, and the poet Charles Baudelaire, as well as his significant influence on successive generations of artists. Delacroix's paintings and his posthumously published Journals laid crucial groundwork for immediate successors including Cézanne, Degas, Manet, Monet, and Renoir. Later admirers including Seurat, Gauguin, Moreau, Redon, Van Gogh, and Matisse renewed the obsession with his work. Through essays and catalogue entries, the authors demonstrate how Delacroix became mentor and archetype to younger generations who sought direction for their own creative experiments, and found inspiration in Delacroix's brilliant use of color, audacious technique, and rebellious nature. Published by National Gallery Company/Distributed by Yale University Press Exhibition Schedule: Minneapolis Institute of Arts (10/18/15-01/10/16) National Gallery, London (02/17/16-05/22/16)

"Issued in conjunction with the exhibition ... held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, from April 10, 1991, through June 16, 1991"--T.p. verso.

A newly expanded edition of the defining book on one of French Romanticism's most influential and elusive painters Eugène Delacroix (1798-1863) was a solitary genius who produced stormy Romantic works like The Death of Sardanapalus as well as more classically inspired paintings such as Liberty Leading the People. Over the long span of his career, he responded to the literary fascination with Orientalism, the politics of French imperialism, and the popular interest in travel, painting everything from sweeping, epic tales to intimate interiors. In this beautifully illustrated book, Barthélémy Jobert delves into all facets of Delacroix's life and art, providing an unforgettable portrait of perhaps the greatest and most elusive painter of the French Romantic movement. Bringing together large canvases, decorative cycles, watercolors, and engravings, Jobert explores the inner tensions and contradictions that drove the artist, re-creating the political and cultural arenas in which Delacroix thrived and enabling readers to fully appreciate the extraordinary range of his artistic production. He reveals how Delacroix successfully navigated the Salons of Paris and the halls of government, socialized with George Sand and Victor Hugo, engaged in intense philosophical discussions about art with Baudelaire, and maintained a lively repartee with the press. He vividly describes Delacroix's journey to Morocco, which unexpectedly led him to rediscover his classical roots, and shows how Delacroix profoundly influenced later painters such as Cézanne and Picasso. This new and expanded edition of Jobert's acclaimed book includes a thoroughly updated introduction and conclusion, and a wealth of new information and illustrations throughout.