Sunset c. 1850

Eugène Delacroix made this pastel drawing, Sunset, in nineteenth-century France. The way he renders the scene, the sun's rays breaking through the clouds, reminds us of the Romantic movement. But this wasn't simply about evoking an emotional response to nature. France was undergoing rapid social and political change. The old aristocracy was out, but who or what would take its place? Delacroix was among those artists and intellectuals who believed that art could and should play a role in shaping this new society. The play of light in this drawing, the balance between darkness and illumination, reflects the search for clarity during a period of profound transformation. Art historians, by looking at period writings and political debates, can help us understand how artists like Delacroix saw themselves as active participants in shaping the future.