Ferdinand Eugene Victor Delacroix was a French painter whose work embodied the 19th-century romanticism. He not only had a profound influence on the Romantic Movement, his influence shaped the work of impressionists (Eugène Delacroix). Delacroix was born on April 26th, 1798, in Charenton, France, the son of Charles Delacroix, who served briefly as the minister of foreign affairs under the Directory (Delacroix, Eugène). His mother, Victoire Oeben, had an ancestry that could be traced back to several artisans and craftsmen (Delacroix, Eugène). However, both of his parents passed early in his life and he was left to the care of Talleyrand, his father’s successor. Many have suggested that Talleyrand and Delacroix resembled each …show more content…
This piece is known to have influenced and contributed to the development of the Romantic Period (Eugene Delacroix Biography). To elaborate, when the painting debuted at the Salon Paris in 1822, it signaled a shift in the character of classical artists towards more individualistic painters, writers and musicians. Furthermore, Dante and Virgil in Hell is representative of the Romantic Period due to the nature and emotion behind the masterpiece. For example, the panting represents the danger and threat of water (The Barque of Dante). Additionally, the colors are vibrant and emotional, which allows the story to be told deeply with great focus on the individuals; including Dante, Virgil, Phlegyas, and the empty souls that cling to the boat (The Barque of Dante). Moreover, the characteristics of his brush strokes and patterns can relate to music of the Romanticism Period due to the way it is portrays certain emotions and explosiveness through individualistic expression (The Barque of Dante). Additionally, most if not all Delacroix’s paintings are filled with vibrant colors, violent subject matter, intense passion and exotic characters that changed the world of art indefinitely. Some examples include: Death of Sardanapalus (1827), Massacre at Chios (1824) and Liberty Leading the People