
The diary opens in 1823, when a twenty‑two‑year‑old painter begins to jot down his thoughts each night, unfiltered and without any plan. These entries flash from fleeting impressions of colour and composition to restless musings on literature, music and the politics of his day. As the years pass the prose steadies, the youthful urgency giving way to a more measured, reflective voice that mirrors his growing mastery of the canvas.
Now gathered from the original notebooks kept by his devoted pupil, the journal offers listeners an intimate portrait of a restless creative mind. It weaves together technical sketches of brushwork, price lists for his works, and vivid descriptions of everyday moments—walks through Paris, encounters with fellow artists, and the excitement of his first travels abroad. For anyone fascinated by the inner life of a 19th‑century master, these candid pages reveal the blend of brilliance and ordinary detail that shaped his lasting influence on art.
Full title
Journal de Eugène Delacroix, Tome 1 (de 3) 1823-1850
Language
fr
Duration
~14 hours (858K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Laura Natal Rodriguez and Marc D'Hooghe at Free Literature (back online soon in an extended version, also linking to free sources for education worldwide ... MOOC's, educational materials,...) (Images generously made available by the Internet Archive.)
Release date
2017-01-19
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1798–1863
Best known for the fierce energy of Liberty Leading the People, this leading French Romantic painter filled his work with drama, color, and movement. His art helped shift European painting away from strict classical balance and toward a more emotional, modern style.
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