Delacroix and the Venetian Tradition

The tradition of Venetian colorism served as an inspiration for many of the artists of the nineteenth century, and Delacroix's art provides the most comprehensive manifestation of the adoption of Venetian principles. Taking Delacroix as its focus, the dissertation explores how the first half of the nineteenth century conceived of Venetian art, and by extension, of colorism. The definition of Venetian art between about 1750 and 1860 is arrived at by examining the writings of critics and art historians. These writings reveal Venetian art as the example of not only brilliant use of color, but also of truth to nature combined with an ability to idealize, the ability to make color, chiaroscuro, and accessory elements aid in the expression of the picture, and great facility in the decoration of large spaces. Distinctions between Titian and Veronese become evident. The Venetians also typified, to the dismay of writers strictly following the precepts of the Academie, the tendency to ignore the academic approach to narrative in painting in favor of the exploration of purely visual effects which might or might not enhance the expression of a work, but perhaps lead only to the evocation of mood. The major objection to the Venetian example of academic writers such as A.-C. Quatremere de Quincy, then, has to do with the improper handling of subject matter and not with its method of painting per se. Conversely, at the other end of the spectrum, Th. Gautier finds Venetian works lacking any serious subject admirable, because their sense of well-being makes them truly antique. Critics of Delacroix's work find characteristics of the Venetian school in his painting, and they also align themselves along the academic--juste milieu--progressive continuum according to how much they value correct treatment of subject matter as well as finish. They consistently perceive his Venetianism as lying, appropriately, in his decorative projects or very large easel works and in his landscapes and genre subjects. Delacroix's own appreciation of Venetian art takes the form largely of admiration for its closeness to antiquity, its ability to decorate and especially of its material techniques which, more successfully than any other school's, recreate the effects of natural lighting. Finally, Delacroix's works are examined in detail for their use of the Venetian model. An Appendix lists those Venetian works known to Delacroix and those he is known to have copied.