Figure Studies c. 1844

Eugène Delacroix made this drawing, titled Figure Studies, in France, likely in the first half of the 19th century. It is a sketch, not a finished work; a chance to explore form and composition. Delacroix was a leading figure in the Romantic movement, which placed emphasis on individual expression and emotion. The art institutions of France, particularly the École des Beaux-Arts, promoted more academic styles, such as Neoclassicism. Delacroix aligned himself against these institutions and explored the expressive possibilities of colour and movement. He studied the Old Masters, especially Peter Paul Rubens, and modern French writers such as Stendhal. These figure studies would have allowed him to investigate human anatomy. The drawing embodies freedom and spontaneity. Delacroix’s own diaries and letters, as well as studies of French art criticism of the time, can help us to understand the artist's methods, and the wider debates about tradition and modernity in French culture.