Delacroix’s journey to Morocco, with Count Morney’s mission in 1832,
was of the greatest benefit to the artist’s progress as a colourist.
Although he had no time during his travels to paint any pictures, he
brought back with him a wealth of rapid sketches which, with his vivid
recollections of Eastern life and colour, led to the production of such
masterpieces as the _Algerian Women in their Apartment_ (No. 210), the
_Jewish Wedding in Morocco_ (No. 211), and _The Entry of the Crusaders
into Constantinople_ (No. 213). In the sumptuous scheme of _Crusaders_
the last traces of the influence of Gros’s colourless palette have
vanished. The picture was commissioned by Louis Philippe for the
Château at Versailles, the remuneration being fixed at £400. A copy of
the picture is in one of the Salles des Croisades at Versailles, and
a small sketch is at Chantilly. The _Algerian Women_ is particularly
remarkable for the luminous sparkle of rich pigment through the ambient
of silvery atmosphere.
Among Delacroix’s masterpieces must be counted the _Portrait of
the Artist_ (No. 214), which he left on his death to his servant,
Jenny le Guillon, stipulating that she should give it to the Louvre
on the day of the restoration of the Orléans family—an event which
never happened, though the picture reached its destination in 1872
through the generosity of Mme. Durien. _The Shipwreck of Don Juan_ (No.
212), painted in 1840, is based on Lord Byron’s epic poem, of which
it is, however, by no means a literal illustration. It is one of the
most stirring renderings of human passion and despair in the whole
history of art, the livid light and general sombre scheme of colour
contributing towards the tragic effect, as though Nature herself were
entering into the mood of the horrible scene.
Although, on the whole, an unsatisfactory picture, Delacroix’s _Roger
delivering Angelica_ (No. 2845) may serve to illustrate the true
significance of his art in its relation to the official school, as
there is in the same collection another rendering of the identical
subject (No. 419) by his great antagonist Ingres, the greatest
draughtsman of his century, and the acknowledged leader of the
Classicist school. Comparison between the two works will show that
Delacroix’s version, with all its obvious imperfections, far surpasses
Ingres’s in emotional intensity and fierce vitality. The academic
perfection and exquisite finish of Ingres’s picture only accentuate the
dulness and lifelessness of his conception.
[Illustration:
PLATE XLVII.—FERDINAND VICTOR EUGÈNE DELACROIX
(1798-1863)