While it’s true that the most famous work of France’s leading Romantic painter – the bare- breasted Liberty Leading the People – resides in the Louvre, Delacroix’s former home and studio is worth a visit for its artistic insight.
Here, you’ll find small oil paintings; drawings and pastels; lithographs; and his only three attempts at fresco; as well as the tools of his trade – palette, brushes, and easel. Also on display are items collected on his travels to Morocco, including ceramics, sabres, and kaftans. There are also letters from friends, including George Sand and Charles Baudelaire.
Indeed, he had a quite a band of admirers, including now- legendary artists such as Cézanne, Manet, and Van Gogh, all of whom copied his compositions. In 1849 Delacroix began work on several large murals themed around good and evil for the Chapelle des Anges in St-Sulpice. In 1857, seriously ill and unable to manage the trip across town, he moved his home and studio here to be nearer to the church.
His notebooks on the project, along with studies for the murals, form part of the museum’s collection. Impressionist painter Paul Signac was one of the founding members of the Société des Amis d’ Eugène Delacroix, a group established in 1935 to save this studio from being demolished.
Practical Information
Address 6 Rue de Fürstemberg, St Germain-des-Prés;
Getting There Métro: St-Germain-des-Près, Mabillon; bus: 39, 63, 70, 86, 95, 96.
Opening Times 9:30am–5pm Wed–Mon.