“Devotion to Drawing: The Karen B. Cohen Collection of Eugene Delacroix”
“Devotion to Drawing: The Karen B. Cohen Collection of Eugene Delacroix” at the Metropolitan Museum presents some 100 works on paper by the 19th century French artist. Known primarily as a painter, the exhibition presents another aspect of Delacroix's work.
Ferdinand Victor Eugene Delacroix's mother was Victorie Oeben. His father was probably her husband Charles Delacroix, who worked in Napoleon's foreign ministry. However, legend has it that the artist's father was actually Prince Talleyrand, foreign minister for Napoleon and subsequent French monarchs. There is said to have been a physical resemblance and that Talleyrand took an interest in the boy who was known as Eugene.
Eugene's childhood was impacted by a series of tragedies. Charles died when Eugene was seven and his older brother was killed during one of Napoleon's battles. His mother died when Eugene was 16 leaving him an orphan.
An uncle encouraged Eugene to pursue his interest in art. Accordingly, Eugene went to work in the studio of an established painter Pierre-Narcisse Guerin. When Eugene was 18, he was admitted to study at the prestigious Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris. Thus, Delacroix's training in art was very traditional.
Yet, it soon became clear that Delacroix was not a traditional artist. His work was influenced by colorists such as Peter Paul Rubens and John Constable. Color applied with energized brushwork became his style. Also, influenced by Romantic literature such as the poems of Lord Byron, he choose contemporary life over classical themes as his subject matter. He became the leading Romantic painter in France. Not surprisingly, his work influenced the Impressionists. However, his work also opened the door for later modern artists. Indeed, even Picasso acknowledged his debt to Delacroix.
Despite being something of an artistic rebel, several of Delacroix's major works were purchased from him by the French government. He also received commissions to paint murals in public buildings and in churches. The art establishment dominated by Neoclassicists objected to him but reluctantly acknowledged his talent. After seven failed attempts, he was elected to the Academie des Beaux Arts in 1857.
Delacroix never married. However, he had numerous affairs with women including some of his models. Having suffered from bouts of poor health throughout his life, Delacroix died in 1863.
The artist requested that all his remaining works be sold after he died. For the most part, he had not exhibited or sold works on paper. However, more than 1,000 sheets of drawings were found in his studio after his death.
The exhibition shows that Delacroix used drawing in three ways.
First, he used drawing to develop his skills. Following in the academic tradition, Delacroix believed in making copies of the works of other artists. For example, he made copies of the works of Raphael. He also did drawings of classical sculptures. In addition, to develop his powers of observation, he carried sketchbooks in which he made sketches from nature.
Second, he used drawing in preparation for works in other media, i.e., paintings and prints. He would often do a drawing in ink to capture his initial idea. Then, he would develop the composition through a series of graphite drawings. Thus, the viewer can see the evolution of his thinking, adjustments made and paths not taken.
Third, he did drawings that were intended as complete works. In these, he let his creativity run free. For example, “A Choral Group of Five” is so loosely done that it verges on the abstract and would not be out of place in any museum of modern art. He also used drawing to experiment with other media such as watercolors, which were not widely used in France at the time. The exhibit includes several watercolors that he did during a trip to North Africa that are finished works. Inasmuch as these works were just for himself or for friends, they reveal something of the artist's private side.
The exhibition provides a behind-the-scenes look at Delacroix's methods and thinking. As such, it sets the stage for the Met's large exhibition of Delacroix's paintings openning later in September 2018.
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