Walking into the MET museum for the first time could be a little overwhelming, but walking through the exhibitions and seeing what wonders the MET holds was truly breathtaking. Exhibitions within the MET come and go, but the Delacroix exhibition is one that someone should take the time and admire. Walking through the Delacroix exhibition for 30 minutes my only thought was, “I wish the MET didn’t close at 5:15pm.” Walking through Delacroix’s artwork made me feel as if I was living during the Romantic style period. I felt as if I was there in Paris, during the French Revolution and feeling the same pain and anguish the people of France one felt. I have always had an undying love for the Italian Renaissance, but walking through Delacroix’s exhibition, I have now made more room in my heart for the Romantic style and just Delacroix in general.
During the Romantic style period in the 1820s, Eugene Delacroix mad his debut as a renowned artist. Born April 26th, 1798 in a town near Paris to his parents Charles- Francois and Victoria Oeben. A bit of speculation at the time, as Charles-Francois being his biological father was questionable due to Francois suffering from infertility when Delacroix was conceived. Delacroix had apparently had significant resemblance to a
man named Telleyrand who was a friend of the family. Guess there were some scandals in Delacroix’s life before he started painting works that usually included violence, pain, and anguish.
Delacroix’s style of controversial art and at times vulgar subjects was inspired heavily by Peter Paul Rubens who was an artist during the Aristocratic Baroque period. Looking at Rubens work you can see how he inspired Delacroix. Rubens pieces were usually grotesque, violent, and quite controversial. A great example by Rubens would be, Rape of the Daughters of Leucippus c. 1618. Very similar style to Delacroix and similar themes, “most of his content was on the romantic and dramatic side.” 1 Even with Delacroix’s work being controversial and his work was at times criticized because he presented themes of violence, “Delacroix became noted as a primary figure in the romantic art style.”2
Delacroix went through some stylistic changes during the romantic period. The exhibition at the MET showed a chronological overview of Delacroix’s career. When entering the exhibition there is an excerpt of writing that states, “Delacroix’s career, which can be understood as unfolding over three phases: the dozen years from 1822 to 1834, dominated by thirst for novelty, fame, and freedom; the period from 1835 to 1855, marked by the splendor of his murals, a dialogue with tradition, and the glory of his retrospective exhibition in 1855; and finally, the years until his death in 1863, which witnessed his growing interest in landscape and the creative role of memory.”3 Many of Delacroix’s pieces struck me and spoke to me in a meaningful way, but three of his
1 http://www.eugene-delacroix.com
2 http://www.eugene-delacroix.com
3 The MET, New York City (Delacroix Exhibition)
paintings that I have chosen were very distinct to me and helped me see the change in Delacroix over his phases.
Christ in the Garden of Olives (The Agony of the Garden) painted from 1824 to 1826 with a medium of oil on canvas. This was in the first part of the exhibition, which was Delacroix’s “conquering of the public”4 phase. Observing this painting I see pain, sorrow, but also courage. The figures in the painting include Jesus Christ, three angels, two sleeping apostles, and an angry mob in the background coming toward the viewer from a further perspective. The subject matter of this painting was clear after examining the painting for a few minutes. Jesus surrendering to the mob of soldiers, putting his hand up to the frightened angels in a way saying, “there is nothing left to do but to surrender but I will be fine and the world will be fine.” Three angels with their faces turned inward it seems for them it is hard to look at Christ one last time knowing he will be captured and arrested. The traditional iconography used here with Jesus brought back more of a classical feel to this period from Delacroix. When observing the three angels I found it interesting that two of the angels have their heads either down or covered but the one in the middle has her face up and looking at Christ with a look of fear and pain. A look that one would give someone they adored who was given news of fatal illness that will take them their life in days. Reading the description at the MET it read, “most depictions of the scene include a single angel, but Delacroix amplified the sorrow by showing three.”5 Very interesting that Delacroix would paint three angels instead of one to increase the feeling of sorrow within this painting. Delacroix’s use of color and light
4 The MET, New York City (Delacroix Exhibition) 5 The MET, New York City (Delacroix Exhibition)
really shows where the focal point of the painting is on the canvas. The focal point is clearly Christ and the three angels because that is where the agony in the garden really is being depicted.
Medea About to Kill Her Children (Medée furieuse), painted in 1838 with a medium of oil on canvas. Transitioning from a classical iconography of Christ and angels to now moving into drama and monumentality. This is where Delacroix’s controversial paintings start making their way into society and honestly where I might have fallen in love with Delacroix’s work. During this time controversial works of visual art were shunned and frowned upon but it didn’t seem like Delacroix like to play by the rules or hide his individualism. Delacroix’s imagination liked to tackle controversial subjects and he wasn’t afraid to put it on canvas. I immediately fell in love with this painting of Medea. This painting shows a woman’s madness and despair, and how those factors can drive a woman to violence. “Medea became enraged by the infidelity of her husband, Jason, and took revenge by killing their children.”6 This shows how Medea abandons reason completely and completely loses her place in the world. Observing the painting I see the frustration in her facial expression as she holds her children against her with a dagger in hand. She looks back with no remorse or sorrow, she has no feeling of guilt, just the feeling of revenge and hate. The way Delacroix painted the dagger into her hand you can see the anger in this woman’s soul. They way her hand is clenching the dagger shows she has completely abandoned all reason and she is no longer thinking for herself anymore, she is only thinking for revenge. This painting had to be my favorite in
6 The MET (Delacroix Exhibition)
the whole exhibition; I can feel the anger boiling inside her, but enough anger to kill her own children.
The Death of Sardanapalus, painted from 1845-1846 with a medium of oil on canvas. Transitioning now from his dramatic phase to his scenes of violence phase. Some may say that the painting of Medea was violent it actually really isn’t. You actually fail to see any violence there but only the dramatic climax leading up to the unthinkable. War for Delacroix was an important subject to depict in his paintings especially during this phase of violence. Here in this painting it is very busy and it is easy to get lost and not quite understand the main point of the painting. According to the MET this is one of Delacroix’s most violent and controversial paintings. “Based on Lord Bryon’s drama Saranapalus (1821), it unfolds around it’s brooding protagonist in the upper left, the final king of Assyria, who has ordered the ultimate brutal visual spectacle: the destruction by murder and by fire of all that he possesses, which he will witness until he too is consumed.” 7 Observing this painting I see violence, gore, pain, suffering, and perhaps madness. The king lies on his bed with no remorse at all watching death unfold right in front of him. It seems as if the death and pain of others entertains him. Within this painting you will see multiple people dead or dying, suffering and pain. Why is this so entertaining to the king? This is where I decipher madness within this painting. The king has perhaps gone drunk with power and has been over consumed by greed and his title. This madness of watching others suffer will soon get the best of him, which perhaps is why Delacroix described the king as waiting for himself to be consumed by death and fire. Even a king could have a demon inside them not just religious figures.
7 The MET (Delacroix Exhibition)
Viewing the Delacroix exhibition at the MET was honestly a great experience for me and it has now opened my mind and opened my heart up to the romantic period of art. I have had this undying love for Italian Renaissance art and I felt that was the only type of art I could appreciate. Now going to the MET and seeing Delacroix I have found a new art form and a new artist that I can appreciate. Perhaps another trip to the MET is in order for me and make it an all day affair. Delacroix’s art had many interesting phases just as a person growing up does. In a way you can say that Delacroix grew with his art. I know towards the end of his career he had focused more on landscapes than the dramatic and controversial art he normally produced. Perhaps with old age even Delacroix needed to go through one last phase and slow down with his age. I guess you can’t paint violent and dramatic scenes your entire career.