Eugène Delacroix was born into a politically engaged family in Paris, where he trained under Pierre-Narcisse Guérin. His first Salon success came with The Barque of Dante (1822), which shocked critics with its vivid color and turbulent composition. Delacroix embraced Romanticism’s emphasis on emotion and exotic subject matter, traveling to Morocco in 1832, where he produced vibrant studies and works infused with North African light and culture.

His masterpiece Liberty Leading the People (1830) commemorates the July Revolution, merging allegory and contemporary portraiture to powerful effect. As a prolific writer, Delacroix kept journals on color theory and technique, influencing later Impressionists and Symbolists. He served as a curator at the Louvre, organizing exhibitions of old masters while championing modern artists. Delacroix’s legacy is his daring fusion of rigorous draftsmanship, innovative color, and passionate expression.