Delacroix Drawings - The Karen B. Cohen Collection

Eugène Delacroix (1798–1863)

This catalogue accompanies The Metropolitan Museum of Art Department of Drawings and Prints exhibition.

Known as the master of French Romanticism for his energetic paintings, Eugène Delacroix was also a consummate draftsman. This handsome book, one of the few to explore the topic in depth, provides new insight into Delacroix's drawing practice, paying particular attention to his methods and the ways in which he pushed the boundaries of the medium. It showcases a selection of more than one hundred drawings, many of which have rarely been seen, from Karen B. Cohen's world-renowned collection. The works highlighted here range from finished watercolors to sketches, from copies after old masters and popular prints to drawings preparatory to many of Delacroix's most important painting and print projects. Illustrated with a wealth of comparative images, the book examines the essential role of drawing in the artist's formation and aesthetic practice, while two shorter texts trace the history of the collecting of Delacroix's work at the Metropolitan Museum and present important new research on his materials and techniques.