A comprehensive monograph on the preeminent French Romantic artist whose work changed the course of European painting Eugene Delacroix (1798-1863) created extraordinary paintings that were known for their dynamic color, brushwork, and movement as well as their original subject matter. This in-depth monograph, written by French and American experts, examines Delacroix's engagement with the work of his predecessors, studies the effect of the artist's prodigious life on his work, and explores his impact on Western painting. The artist's fascination with the natural world, his interest in the Ottoman Empire, and the profound influence of his voyage to North Africa are analyzed and provide new insights into understanding and appreciating his unconventional subjects. Presenting many of Delacroix's iconic canvases, such as The Women of Algiers in their Apartment, Liberty Leading the People, and Lion Hunt, as well as a generous selection of lesser-known works and rarely seen drawings and prints from international collections, this revelatory volume captures the full range and diversity of Delacroix's genius, showing how this prolific and groundbreaking artist changed the course of European painting.

Author Biography

Sebastien Allard is chief curator and Come Fabre is curator, both in the Department of Paintings at the Louvre, Paris. Dominique de Font-Reaulx is director, Musee National Eugene-Delacroix, Paris. Michele Hannoosh is professor of French, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Mehdi Korchane is an independent scholar. Asher Miller is assistant curator in the Department of European Paintings at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.