Louvre mounts major Delacroix retrospective after 50-year hiatus

After more than five decades, the Louvre has inaugurated a comprehensive retrospective dedicated to Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix (1798–1863), one of the most important artists in its collection. The last such exhibition was held in 1963, a century after his death. The show is organized in collaboration with the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, which holds a significant collection of Delacroix's works. It presents 180 works, including paintings and graphic pieces, covering his entire career from the Salons of the 1820s to his mature large-scale canvases, and also highlights lesser-known religious-themed cycles. The exhibition explores Delacroix's influences from Flemish and Venetian masters of the 16th and 17th centuries, as well as his role as a writer, illustrator, and cultured man. Delacroix was considered a master by the Impressionists; Cézanne famously said, 'We are all in Delacroix.' The Impressionists admired his sketchy landscapes, strong light contrasts, and expressive line. Among his most famous works are Liberty Leading the People (1830) and The Barque of Dante (1822), both at the Louvre. The exhibition runs until July 23, 2018, at the Musée du Louvre, Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris, France.