Barque of Dante

Artist:  Eugène Delacroix

Media: Oil on Canvas

Date: 1822

Dimensions: H 1.89 meters; W 2.41 meters

“The time of classical painters imitating Greek and Roman art was over: they no longer had a place in current tastes. The underlying idea behind The Barque of Dante is that great geniuses from other lands have written works suffused with a way of seeing and feeling quite different from that of the French. Reading them stimulates the mind through new subject matter and the imagination through new boldness. So new, in fact, that Delacroix's painting was not without its critics: "a real daub" was how Delécluze, a disciple of David, described it. Delacroix drew on the visionary writing of the Italian poet in order to create a painting of definite force and romanticism.” Vincent Pomarède

Eugène Delacroix was born April 26, 1798. He is classified as a Romantic in style and is regarded as one of the best French Painters. He was said to influence impressionist painters and also had influence on Pablo Picasso. He was the pupil of Pierre-Narcisse Guerin. His first painting to gain attention was Barque of Dante. He died August 13, 1863.

             
This painting is related to the poem written by Dante Alighieri called Dante’s Inferno. Inferno is the Italian word for Hell. In the poem, Dante the main character, journeys through the nine circles of hell. This places this painting within the spectrum of my theme. I chose this piece because I was a fan of video game and grew interested in the nine circles of hell and what they represented.