DELACROIX, FERDINAND VICTOR EUGENE, a modern French painter, chief of the "romantic school," was b. at Charenton-Saint-Maurice, near Paris, 26th April, 1799. At the age of 18, lie entered the atelier of the artist Pierre Guerin. In 1822, he exhibited his first work, "Dante and Virgil." It attracted much attention. The love of color at the expense of accurate drawing, for which D. afterwards_ became conspicuous, is quite visible in it. It was highly praised, however, by M. Thiers among others. In 1824, D., who was now at the head of the new school of young painters, produced the "Massacre of Scio;" in 1826, the "Death of Marino Faliero," and " Greece on the Ruins of Misso longhi;" in 1827, "Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane," "Appearance of Mephis topheles to Faust," "The Blind Milton Dictating Paradise Lost," and the "Death of Sardanapalus;" and in 1828, " Cardinal Richelieu.' The July revolution left its impress on D., and in 1831, appeared his " Liberty Directing the People on the Barri cades." About this time, he made n voyage to Morocco, where he familiarized himself with novel effects of light and costumes. The Paris exhibition of 1852 contained the results of his artistic expedition. From this period. D. continued to send forth
picture after picture, which proved at least the extraordinary fecundity of his mind. The principal are the "Prisoner of Chillon" (1835); "Cleopatra" (1838); "Hamlet Con templating the Skull of Yorick" (1838); " Capture of Constantinople by the Crusaders" (1841); a "Shipwreck" (1841); "Death of Marcus Aurelius" (1845); "Farewell of Romeo and -Juliet" (1846); and "Flowers and Fruits" (1849). D. has also decorated many pub lic buildings and churches. In 1S57, he was chosen by the institute to fill the place of Paul Delaroche (q.v.).—The most striking quality of b.'s genius is his wonderful ver satility. He has painted almost all sorts of subjects, involving a vast variety of cos tumes. As a colorist, lie ranks high, but he is almost equally noted, as has been said, for his incorrect drawing. What renders his pictures so attractive, is a certain dramatic energy of execution, with brilliant effects of light and shadow. He has been compared to Paolo Veronese and Rubens, but is vastly inferior to both. He has also been styled the Victor Hugo of painting, a criticism which more nearly expresses the truth. He died Aug. 13, 1863.