The Secrets behind Eugène Delacroix’s Monumental Decoration

A strong focus of the thirty final years of Eugène Delacroix’s career, the many civil and religious buildings he decorated stand today as testaments to his incredible talent. From the mural paintings of the Saint-Sulpice church to the decoration of the National Assembly and the Senate, not to mention the now-lost decorative paintings for the Salon de la Paix of the Paris Hôtel de Ville, Delacroix’s decorative oeuvre is impressively rich and diverse.

At the heart of the last building where the artist lived and worked, the Musée National Eugène-Delacroix pays tribute to this oeuvre with a unique display that provides insight into the creative process behind Delacroix’s decorative paintings. Presenting preparatory drawings and sketches by the artist, illustrating his different techniques and shedding light on the main themes Delacroix explored in his decorative works, this exhibition takes visitors on an immersive journey through the Romantic painter’s monumental decoration projects.

This new display of the Musée National Eugène-Delacroix collection is also an opportunity to show the public some of the painter’s lesser-known works that have recently been acquired or undergone conservation treatment. Three frescoes painted by Delacroix – Leda and the Swan, Anacreon and a Young Woman and Bacchus with a Tiger –, two magnificent hemicyclic wood models, and a sketch of the same shape for Hercules Enchains Nereus all illustrate the extent of Delacroix’s reflection and creative work. These artworks also bear witness to the research and development around the little-explored theme of the painter’s decorative oeuvre.

Organised by: Claire Bessède, Musée National Eugène-Delacroix

See the Musée National Eugène-Delacroix website for the full schedule of events