The Formal Analysis of Liberty Leading the People by Eugene Delacroix E

The Formal Analysis of Liberty Leading the People by Eugene Delacroix Ferdinand Victor Eugene Delacroix was born on April 26, 1798. Delacroix was the son of Charles Delacroix and Victoire Oeben. His father served for a short period of time as a minister of foreign affairs. At the time of Delacroix’s birth his father was on a mission to Holland as ambassador of the French Republic. Delacroix’s mother was a descended of artisans and craftsmen. His parents both died early. His father died in 1805 and his mother in 1814. After his mothers death he was left in the care of his older sister, Henriette de Verninac. When Delacroix was at the age of seventeen, in 1815, he began to take painting lessons from Pierre Guerin. While there he met Theodore Gericault, a romantic painter, and became heavily influenced by him and his work. Delacroix’s first painting, The Barque of Dante, was accepted by the Paris Salon in 1822 that marked the beginning of his artistic career. He was a French painter whose work influence extended to the impressionists and exemplified 19th century romanticism. He remained the dominant French romantic painter throughout his life. Delacroix’s use of colors influenced both neo-impressionist and impressionist painters. Delacroix created more than 850 paintings, drawings, murals and other works in his career. Delacroix’s most influential work and most romantic is Liberty Leading the People. It was also called â€Å"le 28 Juillet and La Liberte conduissant le people aux barricades†. The French Revolution, 1830, inspired the last of his paintings to be called Romantic. Delacroix’s technique was using applied contrasting colors, creating a vibrant effect with small brush strokes. The impressionists were greatly influenced by this. This painting showed the division between the romantic style and the neoclassical style. Romantic style emphasized spirit and color detachment and line. This painting is responses to the July 1830 revolution against Charles X who is the King of France. According to the book Painting in the Lourve romanticisms is a movement that arose in the early nineteenth century in art, literature, and music. Romantic painting was characterized by emotionalism and fascination with the exotic. It reached its peak about 1830 in France, England and Germany. Some principles of Romanticism are that the emphasis is on fe... ...iolent animal and human combat. They filled up his mind. Over time his style had become purified and refined. His brush strokes were bolder, more confident and vigorous. His colors were cleaner and brighter now. His compositions are more direct and simpler. Delacroix died in Paris on August 13, 1863. Since his death his apartment has been changed into a museum. The museum gives future generations insight into his work and his life. Reference to Internet Sites http://sunsite.dk/cgfa/delacroi/delacroix_bio.htm http://encarta.msn.com http://www.nga.gov/cgi-bin/pbio?7900 http://painting.about.com/library/bidelacroix.htm?once=true& http://www.discoverfrance.net/France/Art/Delacroix/Delacroix.shtml Reference to Books Henry M. Sayre, A World Of Art (New Jersey:Prentice-Hall,Inc 2000), p477 Tom Priddeaux, The World of Delacroix (New York:Time Inc 1966), p101-104,174-177 Walter Friedlaender, David to Delacroix (Massachusetts: Harvard University (Press), p113-114 Barthelemy Jobert, Delacroix (New Jersey:Princeton University Press),p128-133 Lawrence Gowing, Paintings in the Louvre (New York:Stewart, Tabori & Chang, Inc. 1987), p672