Delacroix and Nature

Eugène Delacroix appreciated nature greatly, and he often spent time thinking about different types of landscapes and bodies of water, taking many excursions into the countryside to enjoy the outdoors. When he did this, he often stayed at either his home in Champrosay or with George Sand in Berry. Throughout his artistic career, he continually wrote in both his journal and to other people, reflecting on how beautiful nature is. At the menagerie at the Jardin des Plantes (the National Museum of Natural History), where he sketched animals, he occasionally sketched animals with Antoine-Louis Barye, who was a sculptor. Animal life was, and still is, a source of endless fascination for Delacroix; he never became bored with it.

Eugene Delacroix used nature as an important part of his art—not only did he enjoy observing nature out of curiosity and for relaxation, but he also used it extensively throughout his studies. He found great joy in every little detail of what was around him, and focused nearly all of his studies on those details. The exhibition, ‘Delacroix and Nature’, will exhibit many rare landscapes painted by Delacroix, along with numerous sketches and drawings that are part of a personal collection of herbaria, bestiaries, and study sheets that were done by Delacroix that he never exhibited to the world.

“Delacroix and Nature” highlights the artist’s studio; in this environment, Delacroix reinterprets nature as a whole when he develops his paintings using the natural world as his subject. In his work, Delacroix draws on both animal and plant life to produce some of his most recognized works. Thus, he uses landscapes as backdrops for many of his pastoral scenes, while he paints the animals he depicts as though they are alive, both in his best-known works and in other works.

Proposed activities (Translated to French): On March 17, 2022, at 12:30 p.m., Claire Bessède will be presenting the exhibition in the Michel Laclotte auditorium. Suggested reading materials (Translated to French): Delacroix et la nature, edited by C. Bessède, was co-published in association with the Musée du Louvre Editions and Le Passage. The retail price is 29 euros.

• Guide du musée Delacroix, authored by C. Bessède, is co-published by Musée du Louvre Editions and El Viso, priced at €6.

Suggested reads (in French)

• Delacroix et la nature, edited by C. Bessède. Co-published by Musée du Louvre Editions / Le Passage, €29.
• Guide du musée Delacroix, by C. Bessède. Co-published by Musée du Louvre Editions / El Viso, €6.