Monument to Eugene Delacroix at The Jardin du Luxembourg, Paris

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Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix (26 April 1798 – 13 August 1863) was a renowned French Romantic artist who dominated the French Romantic school from the outset of his career. Delacroix's bold use of expressive brushstrokes and in-depth study of the optical effects of color significantly influenced the work of the Impressionists, while his passion for the exotic inspired the Symbolist movement artists. A skilled lithographer, Delacroix illustrated various works of William Shakespeare, Scottish writer Walter Scott, and German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Delacroix's art diverged from Ingres' Neoclassical perfectionism, drawing inspiration instead from the work of Rubens and Venetian Renaissance painters with a focus on color and movement over clarity of outline and carefully modeled form. Dramatic and romantic content characterized Delacroix's mature themes, leading him to travel in North Africa in search of the exotic. As a friend and spiritual heir to Théodore Géricault, Delacroix was also inspired by Lord Byron, with whom he shared a strong identification with the "forces of the sublime" of nature in often violent action. Delacroix avoided sentimentality and bombast, and his Romanticism was that of an individualist. Baudelaire described Delacroix as "passionately in love with passion, but coldly determined to express passion as clearly as possible." This bronze sculpture features a bust of Delacroix at its top, depicting him as a young man with long hair looking intently into the distance and wearing a heavy coat and scarf. The artist is French sculptor Jules Dalou (1838-1902). Below the bust are three additional figures: one figure is a man wearing a laurel wreath but little else, nearly sitting and reaching out with both hands towards his right; he almost appears as if he is applauding the other figures. The next figure is a muscular and elderly male angel lifting a bare-breasted woman who is placing flowers at the base of Delacroix's bust. The pedestal engraving reads: "A Eugene Delacroix 1798-1863 ses admirateurs," indicating that the memorial was erected by his admirers. The work was installed in 1890 and also functions as a fountain. This object is part of "Scan The World," a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory to create a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks, and landmarks from across the globe for public access at no cost. Scan The World is an open-source community effort; if you have interesting items around you and would like to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to find out how you can help.