Fun Facts: Eugene Delacroix 1798-1857
Liberty Leading the People, Eugène Delacroix, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
In honor of the anniversary of Delacroix’s birthday here are some fun facts about his work and life.
He was born on April 26, 1798.
His father was Minister of Foreign Affairs and an Ambassador to Holland.
His mother was the daughter of the renowned cabinet maker, Jean-François Oeben, who worked for King Louis XV.
He began apprenticing for the painter Pierre-Narcisse Guérin in 1815 who had one of the largest studios in Paris at the time.
His talent was overlooked by Guérin, but he became heavily influenced by the painter Théodore Géricault.
Delacroix posed for Géricault’s The Raft of the Medusa (1819, Musée du Louvre).
His most iconic painting was Liberty Leading the People, which was about the revolt that happened in 1830 in Paris surrounding the freedom of the press and the severity of the restoration regime.
In 1832 he travelled to Morroco and it inspired over 72 paintings about the landscapes, attire, sounds, colors, and the beauty of the people.
He began to work on ceiling murals in churches, some of which include Jacob Wrestling with the Angel and Heliodorus Driven from the Temple, as well as Saint-Michael Slaying the Dragon on the ceiling.
He moved back to Paris and in 1857 was accepted into the Academy of Fine Arts.
He passed on August 13, 1857 with his governess, Jenny Le Guillou, who was with him in his final hours.
Source: https://www.musee-delacroix.fr
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Copyright 2023 Tim Bovey.
Eugène Delacroix, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons