Sunset
Around 1849–50, Delacroix became captivated by the challenge of capturing the light effects of cloud formations and chose pastel to convey his impressions. While he used the medium throughout his career, the sky studies constitute his largest cohesive group in pastel. Delacroix’s sensitive analysis of color is evident both in the drawing and in a corresponding description of a sunset in his journal: "The gray of the clouds in the evenings verges on blue; the clear parts of the sky are bright yellow or orange. . . . The greater the contrast, the more brilliant the effect." He noted making such a drawing "with an eye to my ceiling," likely referring to his recent commission for the Apollo Gallery in the Louvre, which ultimately featured radiating sunbeams surrounding the central figure.
Artwork Details
- Title: Sunset
- Artist: Eugène Delacroix (French, Charenton-Saint-Maurice 1798–1863 Paris)
- Date: ca. 1850
- Medium: Pastel on blue laid paper
- Dimensions: Overall: 8 1/16 x 10 3/16 in. (20.4 x 25.9 cm)
- Classification: Drawings
- Credit Line: Gift from the Karen B. Cohen Collection of Eugène Delacroix, in honor of Philippe de Montebello, 2014
- Object Number: 2014.732.4
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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