Delacroix


 * Eugene Delacroix **

Delacroix was born April 26, 1798 in Charenton-Saint-Maurice, France. He was a great French Romantic artist known for his optical effects and expressive brushstrokes in his pieces. As a painter and a muralist, he was able to create exquisite illustrations that shaped the work of Impressionism. Likewise, Delacroix was known for Lithography, which is a method of printing from stone, metal, or a smooth surface.

During his lifetime, Delacroix produced over 9,000 works of art, ranging from oil paintings to watercolors, pastels, and drawings. He gained inspiration from the works of Peter Paul Rubens and Titian. Delacroix focused on movement and color, rather than clarity of a clear outline. Most of his content were considered on the romantic and dramatic side. Some of his famous works are // Liberty Leading the People // and // The Death of Sardanapalus // which both can be found in the Musée du Louvre.

With his failing health, Delacroix passed away on August 13, 1863 in Paris, France. His influence through his use of color, shaped the work of Impressionism as well as inspired artists like Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Van Gogh, and Picasso. Delacroix was very passionate and dedicated to his work. In the words of Baudelaire, a French poet, “Delacroix was passionately in love with passion, but coldly determined to express passion as clearly as possible.” Throughout his lifetime, Delacroix did just that; his love for passion was expressed through his work which initiated the era of Symbolism.