Eugene Delacroix Collection

Eugène Delacroix (1798–1863) was a pioneering French Romantic artist widely recognized as the leader of the French Romantic school. In stark contrast to the Neoclassical precision of his rival, Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, Delacroix drew inspiration from Rubens and the Venetian Renaissance, embracing color, movement, and emotional intensity over strict form and outline. His mature work often explored dramatic and exotic themes, driven by his travels in North Africa and his fascination with the wild power of nature—a passion he shared with the poet Lord Byron.

While a spiritual heir to Théodore Géricault, Delacroix maintained a uniquely individualistic approach to Romanticism, free of sentimentality or excess. Baudelaire famously described him as “passionately in love with passion, but coldly determined to express it as clearly as possible.” Delacroix’s expressive brushwork and bold use of color would later influence the Impressionists, while his love for the exotic inspired the Symbolist movement. Beyond painting, he was also a skilled lithographer who illustrated works by Shakespeare, Goethe, and Walter Scott. Considered one of the last great old Masters—and one of the few ever photographed—Delacroix left a lasting impact on 19th-century art through both his technical innovations and emotional depth.