The best of Delacroix

An earlier post looked at why critics condemn Delacroix. Here, I am not begging forgiveness for any real or imaginary failures of Delacroix, but I am seeking to identify the quintessence of Delacroix, the part I can unreservedly celebrate. Which are the great Delacroix paintings, for me? And what do they tell us about Delacroix? I have chosen five works. All of them have in common Delacroix’s romanticism, by which I mean delight in action. Whether humans or animals, Delacroix picks moments of striving. Delacroix was capable of reflection and poise, but not here. These are not comfortable paintings.

The Barque of Dante (1822)

The grouping is very similar to the later Liberty leading the people: a small number of heroic figures in a standing or moving position, with various horizontal bodies below them. But what makes the painting remarkable is, in the words of Petra Char, « passion bursting forth from the scene ».

The Death of Sardanapalus (1827)

The remarkable contrast between the stillness of Sardanapalus and the frenzied, mortal action all around him. This is not the suicide of a neurotic in lonely isolation; here is a man who, like Don Giovanni in Mozart’s opera, accepts unflinchingly the invitation of death, choosing to have all his possessions destroyed around him. Never has such a major painting attracted such criticism. Together with the wild action, the exotic details pull the viewer into the scene. This is not a painting to be observed in peace and tranquillity. As has been pointed out, this painting represents a moment of evil rather than good, but is all the more powerful for it.

Liberty leading the People (1831)

If any painting represented French 19th-century history, this is it. A glorious, memorable combination of allegorical female between two very realistic-looking human males. What a collection of hats! The males are believable portraits of different ranges of contemporary society, joined for this one cause.

The painting is so iconic that it has probably become more famous than the event it represents. By all accounts, the revolution of 1830 was not particularly revolutionary.

Self-portrait (1837)

I have included this painting as, in contrast to all the others above, nothing is ostensibly happening in it. And yet the human depicted is full of energy, from the hair to the tense pose, ready to spring into action, ready to depict a thousand Sardanapalus figures.

Jacob wrestling with the Angel (1861)

Here, figures are integrated with the landscape, more successfully than Claude or Turner ever managed. Yes, the painting shows the human body in action – that is how I define Delacroix’s Romanticism, but alongside the struggling bodies, the trees and natural surroundings are all alive with the same motion as the figures. Next time you visit a church, try to find another scene with figures and landscape so sinuously linked. The figure on horseback on the right, for example, seems in some incredible way to be following the same dramatic curve as the root of the tree. 

Five great paintings to enliven any art-going visit.