In 1863, Baudelaire wrote that Delacroix had “inherited” from his teacher “a love of the poets and a strangely impulsive spirit of rivalry with the written word.” Throughout Delacroix’s career, he painted subjects from Byron, Goethe, Shakespeare, and Dante, choosing stories of extreme emotion or conflict. Rather than teaching the viewer, Delacroix’s mode of storytelling aimed to grab the spectator’s attention and to move them. While many critics called his work “ugly” or “gothic,” Baudelaire recognized the modernity of his painting in its ability to make us empathize with often tragic circumstances through the sincerity of its emotional expression.

Dr. Kristin O’Rourke is a Senior Lecturer in Art History at Dartmouth College. She is a specialist in 18th-19th century European art with a focus on Romanticism and Classicism, the history of Paris, and art criticism, popular culture, and fashion. She is currently co-editing a book on fashion and accessories in Early Modern Europe, where she writes on women at their toilette in 18th century portraiture. This talk comes out of her long-standing research project on Delacroix, the position of the artist, and the transition to Modernism.

GMALL has generously donated 10 free seats in this presentation to MCL patrons. Please note that a separate registration must be completed by each person in your party.