A Tomb and Studies of Windows in the Church of Valmont Abbey (recto); Four Studies of Horses (verso)

Eugène Delacroix French

Not on view

This drawing of the church at Valmont in Normandy shows Delacroix’s masterful handling of the wash medium to create a shadowy ambience. During his visits to his cousin’s estate there, Delacroix was especially transfixed by the partially ruined fifteenth-century church on the property, which appealed to his Romantic imagination. After his first trip, he recalled, "Above all, the old church, half-ruined, where there were tombs, great Gothic windows with dark stained glass, and vaults containing the foundations of the abbey, all of these things inspired a host of romantic ideas." The dreamlike atmosphere conjured by the artist in this wash drawing corresponds with his written reflections on the church as a space of reverie.

A Tomb and Studies of Windows in the Church of Valmont Abbey (recto); Four Studies of Horses (verso), Eugène Delacroix (French, Charenton-Saint-Maurice 1798–1863 Paris), Brush, black and brown ink, and wash over graphite (recto); graphite (verso) on wove paper

This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.

A Tomb and Studies of Windows in the Church of Valmont Abbey (recto); Four Studies of Horses (verso), Eugène Delacroix (French, Charenton-Saint-Maurice 1798–1863 Paris), Brush, black and brown ink, and wash over graphite (recto); graphite (verso) on wove paper
A Tomb and Studies of Windows in the Church of Valmont Abbey (recto); Four Studies of Horses (verso), Eugène Delacroix (French, Charenton-Saint-Maurice 1798–1863 Paris), Brush, black and brown ink, and wash over graphite (recto); graphite (verso) on wove paper

This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.