A key it promised a donation of 21 works

Ten days before his death of tuberculosis in 65 years, August 13, 1863, the painter Eugène Delacroix, glory of the French romantic painting, wrote a will in which he requested be works in his Studio and his apartment, in 6 of the place of Furstenberg, just behind the Saint-Germain-des-Prés Church, auction in two years. What was done. Drawings and paintings were beaten red buffer which indicated their origin for ever and a year later, 6,000 drawings were dispersed to the auction. Remained the workshop and the apartment of the artist. In the early years of the 20th century, was to destroy and a few painters Maurice Denis and Paul Signac were a society of friends to preserve the site and make exhibitions.

Since 1971, the Eugène-Delacroix Museum is a national museum. And now more than thirty years a particularly quiet American collector, the name of Karen b. Cohen, collects drawings, watercolours, book of the same painter and some artists of his entourage. So it is now at the head of the largest collection on the master. In 2000, it showed 115 of its treasures to the Metropolitan Museum in New York. A key, it promised a donation of 21 works. And as a salute to the history of art, until April 5, 6, place Furstenberg, return 90 works from its collection. Because, of course, number of works on paper are marked in the famous red buffer from the sale of the workshop. It is the first time that the Museum exhibits a private collection. Perhaps the American collector will make a donation which would allow designs back in their place of birth In the meantime, enjoy the temporary return of the "relics". These papers show the true nature of Delacroix.

The beginning of the exhibition is devoted to the theme of religion in his drawings. Not that the artist is a great devout - he would have raised in a rationalistic spirit inspired by the enlightenment - medium but the death of Christ, his suffering and his solitude are subjects that correspond to his temperament and allow his verve to express themselves. Biblical scenes and their times by the painters that preceded it are an excellent starting point for new compositions. The first religious order date of 1824. It is painting "The Christ in the garden of olives" for the Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis Church, rue Saint-Antoine, and resume the theme twenty years later. The exhibition allows to observe five stages of composition, ranging from a drawing in ink representative Jésus in a position of abatement to sketched oil which shows with crowds of disciples in the distance.

Religion and literature

Where to draw the lyricism that feeds his painting In the great literary works. In may 1824, he wrote: "Remember, for you forever, ignite parts of Byron." The English poet he loves "The Giaour" (fragment of a French fairy tale). This gives a dizzying design of beauty, "The Giaour Prosecutor Hassan", in which the main character is represented in a wave of black lines that are similar to the Arabic calligraphy. The ambition of Delacroix is as great as his accomplishments.

About his monumental commissions, he said: "my heart beats faster when I find myself facing a large wall painting." He also especially moved from 9earrondissement to the place Furstenberg, to more easily - it is weakened by the disease - the Saint-Sulpice church, where he produced frescoes. This work requires many studies to consider Visual shortcuts and other problems of perspective. Some examples are shown in the Museum. His monumental work forgotten is the Paris City Hotel, the building having burned under the fire of the Commune. He wrote to George Sand: "every evening, I am as a man who would have 10 leagues on foot, and the next day, I wake up mend to see my poor children of Eve: I find yet all wet my kissing them.".

The exhibition is sometimes a bit technical but punctuated by intense Visual surprises as his cats who jump and scream anywhere on the sheet. And then there is watercolours, diluted and almost abstract landscapes which he registered weather impressions. He is already en route to Impressionism.

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