Character Catalog

His first major work exhibited at the Salon, depicting Dante and Virgil crossing the Styx. The painting introduced Delacroix to the public and marked his break with Neoclassicism.

A monumental canvas denouncing the massacre of Greeks by the Ottomans at Chios. It caused a scandal and established Delacroix as the standard-bearer of Romanticism.

Inspired by a play by Lord Byron, this tumultuous canvas depicts the last king of Assyria destroying his possessions. Its composition and chromatic violence shocked the official critics.

An iconic masterpiece inspired by the Three Glorious Days of July 1830. The allegorical figure of Liberty brandishing the tricolor flag has become a universal symbol of freedom.

Painted after his journey to North Africa, this work offers an intimate view of an Algerian harem. It profoundly influenced Renoir, Cézanne, and Picasso, who created fifteen variations of it.

A large historical canvas commissioned by the State, depicting the capture of Constantinople in 1204. It illustrates Delacroix's ability to combine epic sweep with emotional complexity.

A mural in the Chapel of the Holy Angels at Saint-Sulpice, considered Delacroix's artistic testament. It bears witness to his mastery of movement and color at the end of his life.

The first virtue of a painting is to be a feast for the eye. This is not to say that reason has no place in it; it is like beautiful verse — all the reason in the world will not prevent it from being bad if it offends the ear.

I am a pure classicist. I was raised with great respect for Raphael and the old masters. And yet I am counted among the innovators!

The Romans and the Greeks are right here, at my doorstep: I had a good laugh at David's Greeks, setting aside, of course, his sublime craftsmanship. I know them now; the marbles are truth itself, but one must know how to read them.

I have begun a modern subject, a barricade… and if I have not fought for my country, at least I shall paint for her.

Delacroix's last studio and residence from 1857, now the Musée national Eugène-Delacroix. He moved there to be close to the Church of Saint-Sulpice, which he was decorating.

Delacroix painted the murals of the Chapel of the Holy Angels there between 1849 and 1861, including "Jacob Wrestling with the Angel", considered his artistic testament.

The Louvre holds Delacroix's major works, including "Liberty Leading the People". As a young artist, he diligently copied the old masters there, particularly Rubens and Veronese.

During his 1832 journey, Delacroix stayed in Meknes where he attended an audience with Sultan Moulay Abd er-Rahman. This encounter inspired several major Orientalist paintings.

Delacroix's port of arrival in North Africa, where he was immediately struck by the Mediterranean light. He produced numerous watercolors and sketches of daily life there.

Delacroix used a palette covered with vivid, contrasting colors. He studied the laws of simultaneous color contrast, later influencing the Impressionists.

His seven sketchbooks filled during his time in Morocco contained watercolors, drawings, and notes on colors. They formed a reservoir of inspiration he drew from for thirty years.

Delacroix kept a diary from 1822 to 1863, recording his thoughts on art, music, and literature. This document has become a major reference work in art history.

His large easel allowed him to work on monumental canvases in his studio on the Place de Furstenberg. He spent long hours there, working with feverish energy.

Delacroix was one of the first painters to take advantage of industrially produced paint tubes, a recent invention that made working with and transporting colors much easier.

A great lover of music and opera, Delacroix was a regular at Parisian theaters. He particularly admired Mozart and Chopin, with whom he was a close friend.