Self Portrait Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix (1798-1863)

Description of Eugène Delacroix’s "Self-Portrait

Eugène Delacroix is a French painter and graphic artist. He is considered to be the founder of the Romantic movement in European painting. His coloristic explorations had a significant influence on the formation of Impressionism. Eugène Delacroix learned his artistic skills from the old masters in the Louvre. He was inspired by the art of English painters, especially the works of J. Conseble. The work of T. Géricault had a great influence on the formation of his own style. From 1816 to 1822 he studied in Paris under the classicist Guérin. Delacroix was a multi-faceted talent, who showed himself in a huge number of genres. Among his works are works of monumental decorative painting, landscapes, depictions of animals and various interiors, as well as portraits. In 1860, the artist painted himself on canvas. Self-portraits are common and, at the same time, quite interesting genre in the fine arts. On the canvas, the artist seeks through a visual image to reflect how he himself perceives his "I". Thanks to this we can not only imagine how the master looked, but also to better understand his inner world. In this early self-portrait, Delacroix masterfully reflects not only the peculiarities of his appearance, but also his character traits. He appears thoughtful, calm and a little tired, a little ironic look directed directly at the viewer.  At first glance the artist’s smile may seem arrogant, but it is worth a closer look at his facial expression and a strong longing becomes apparent, as if Delacroix is eager to stop posing for himself as soon as possible.