Orientalism in the works of Eugène Delacroix
Early years and education by Eugène Delacroix
Eugène Delacroix became famous as an outstanding figure of the 19th century French romantic era. Inspired by history, literature and exotic places, Delacroix painted such famous works as "freedom guiding people" and "the death of Sardanapalus". The unique style of his paintings made an iconic character in art history. Even now, Delacroix is considered one of the most important romantic artists. His works marked an artistic current that was taking place at the time: Orientalism. From Delacroix, French painting wanted to represent exotic cultures of the Middle East and Africa.
Ferdinand-Eugène-Victor Delacroix was born on April 26, 1798 at Charen-Saint-Maurice, France. Unlike other French painters, Delacroix was born within a well positioned family. His father, Charles, was Minister of Foreign Affairs. In addition, he served as government prefect in Marseille and Bordeaux. His mother, Victoire Oeben, was the daughter of a renowned cabinet, Jean-François Oeben, who worked for King Louis XV. She was a cultured woman who encouraged the young Delacroix to follow him for his literature and art. The Delacroix family served the revolution and the empire that followed it. Delacroix had a loving but fragile childhood, since he often was sick.
There is a theory attributed. This belief was strengthened by the strong physical resemblance of Delacroix with Talleyrand. What Talleyrand was his father’s father would also explain the sponsorship of Delacroix throughout his life. Despite the nonconformist character of his art, the future painter consistently received an important sponsorship of the French government. Unfortunately, calamity seemed to be at his destiny: Delacroix’s father died when he was 7 years old. Him’s mother died when he was 16. After his father’s death, the young man attended Lycée Louis-Le-Grand in Paris. However, Eugène Delacroix left school to start her artistic studies. Initially, he joined the study of the painter Pierre-Narcisse Guérin. In 1816, he enrolled in the École des Beaux-Arts. In these years, the young man nourished himself from frequent visits from him to Louvre, where he admired the paintings of ancient teachers such as Tiziano and Rubens.
A remarkable debut
With only twenty -four years of age, Delacroix sent his first job to the Hall of 1882. His first job was inspired by hell, "Dante and Virgil in Dante’s hell". The work of art immediately caught the attention of critics. Many of Delacroix paintings had religious issues. However, it is curious that this first work was inspired by literature.
For other works of the 1820s, Delacroix resorted to recent historical events. His interest in the Greek Independence War, and his anguish for the atrocities of that war, led "the massacre of Chios", which he presented in the Hall of 1824. A couple of years later he presented "Greece on the ruins of Missolongi" in 1826. Even at this early stage of his career, Delacroix was lucky enough to find buyers for his work. He was acclaimed as a central figure in the romantic era of French art, along with Théodore Géricault and Antoine-Jean Gros. Like these other painters, he described issues loaded with extreme emotions, dramatic conflicts and violence. He often took inspiration from historical events, literature and music.
Great works of romanticism
Delacroix continued to impress critics and their clients with works such as "The death of Sardanapalus" (1827). This work represents a decadent scene of an defeated Assyrian king who prepares to commit suicide. One of him’s most famous paintings was "the freedom guiding people", inspired by the 1830 revolution. This scene shows when the outraged people rebelled by the new laws on press freedom and the severity of the restoration regime. The monumental canvas mixes classical allegory with contemporary realism. The picture shows a woman who holds a French flag and leads a band of fighters from all social classes. This painting was bought by the French government in 1831, it became an iconic work of art in the third republic.
Eugène Delacroix and his trip to Morocco
In January 1832, Eugène Delacroix accompanied the envoy of King Louis-Philippe, the count of Mainay, to Morocco. The Count was heading to this country in a diplomatic mission. He was fascinated by the landscape, the beauty of the people, their customs. After this trip, Delacroix returned to Paris with new ideas for his art. Paintings like "The women of Algiers in her apartment" and "Moroccan chief who receive tribute" defined their romantic interest in exotic issues and distant lands.
The deep impression of this exotic land inspired more than 72 paintings during the life of Eugène Delacroix. However, although his painting was mostly orientalist, he did not focus only on this exoticism. Eugène Delacroix painting scenes taken from the work of his favorite authors, including Lord Byron and Shakespeare. In addition, he was commissioned to paint several rooms at the Palais Bourbon and the Versailles Palace. He felt that he had found the east of his dreams, as well as a preserved seniority. Morocco’s memories of Delacroix stayed with him all his life. The notes he took, the watercolors he painted and the objects he brought from his trips and that he kept in his study, would mark his painting for many years.
Posterior life and works
From the 1840s, Delacroix spent more time in the field outside Paris. He looked friendship with other outstanding figures from the cultural world. Two examples are composer Frédéric Chopin and author George Sand. The last important commission of Delacroix was a set of murals for the church of Saint-Sulpice in Paris. This collection includes Jacob fighting with the angel, a scene of intense physical combat between two figures in a dark forest. This commission occupied Delacix throughout the 1850s and in the following decade until his death. Eugène Delacroix died on August 13, 1863 in his apartment on Rue de Fürstenberg, in Paris.
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