ROMANTICISM THE ANALYSIS OF A PAINTING BY DELACROIX
“WOMAN WITH A PARROT” Vividness & Emotion
Throughout different eras, continuously flowing, one era is
a young age, and was the creator of a technique that impacted the following eras.
built on the revolution or revolt against to the previous. The
All works of Delacroix
Romanticism Era, 1800 to 1850,
consist of a play with bright
is nothing but that against the
colors and vividness. His
beliefs and values of the
intense subject matter, full of
Neoclassical
emotion
Era. Writers
and
and painters
embracin
of this era
g the
valued
exotic is
emotion,
demonstr
imagination,
ated in
and freedom
his 1827
while
piece
rejecting the rational. The era
“Woman with a Parrot”. The
consisted of the embrace of the
image is composed of a nude
exotic, escape from reality and
female lounging on a chair
the industrial revolution. One
lounge. The delicate looking
of the leaders of this emotion-
woman is complete nude with
based period was the French
the exception of her accerories;
painter Eugene Delacroix (1798-
such as her gold necklaces and
1863). Throughout all of
hair pieces. She rests on top of
Delacroix’s breath taking
drapery or what could appear
paintings strong traits of
to be her ball gown that was
Romanticism are portrayed.
just taken off. Towards the left
The artist embraced his talent at [Pick the date] [Edition 1, Volume 1]
“The more an object is polished or brilliant, the less you see its own color and the more it becomes a mirror reflecting the color of its surroundings.”
- Delacroix
THE ANALYSIS OF A PAINTING BY DELACROIX
hand side flows more drapery,
the woman automatically due
texture creates a further
and the background is of couch
to her pale skin in contrast to
demonstration of realism as
of some sort. At first
the darkness. As well the
well as demonstrates the extent
admiration the eye is drawn to
natural lighting coming in from
of Delacroix’s talent to be the
the woman’s calm face glancing
the upper-right side creates
leader of the Romanticism
at the ground beside her. The
shadows throughout the piece,
Movement. Lastly, Color plays
eye then moves down her
which adds a sensual feeling to
a role in demonstrating the
porislen skin, down to her
the painting. Considering the
movement as well to differ this
extended arm to notice the little
fact that it is in the middle of
painting from the other
parrot at the bottom of the
the day and the viewer is
painting, “Woman with a
painting, then up the curtains
seeing a nude woman. At first
Parrot”, painted by the Realist
to the background. The work
glance, the image gives a calm
Gaustave Courbet, who did not
demonstrates strong unity and
mood to the viewer, but once
use bright colors. The bright
balance considering that the
that has set it, one cannot help
colors of the setting in the
eye of an observer drifts
but feel concerned for the
background of the female nude
throughout the image and does
female. Taking into account
frame the body so that the eye
not stay focused on one piece of
that it appears to be the middle
is focused on the woman,
the subject matter. Delacroix’s
of the afternoon and she lays
instead of the setting. The deep
image as well contains unity is
there, glancing towards the
blue and orange-red
the use of colors. The peachy
flow in front of her is
complement one another and
red-orange and deep ocean
unsettling. It does not seem
create a contrast throughout the
blue are opposites on the color
right with an admirer and
painting. Romanticism was
wheel which demonstrates
leaves them with uncertainty.
about the liberation from the
contrast and harmony.
Space, both positive and
rational and to embrace
Furthermore, the use of the
negative, play into effect of a
fantasy, therefore the addition
highlight color of the yellow-
painting. In this case, the
of the color demonstrates the
gold throughout the image
placement of the largest subject
difference in movements.
adds balance. The play of light
matter in the center of the
and dark contrast add a further
painting furthers the focus onto
detail of realism and sets a
the woman and then down to
revolt against the rational and
certain emotion. In the
the parrot. Texture plays a role
structure, it was about
background, the contrast
in the effectiveness of the
embracing emotion along with
between the two walls, an off
image. With the use of optical
freedom. Artists of this
white and black create a
effect of colors, Delacroix
movement, like Delacroix, used
contrast that is effective but
creates a see-through illusion of
colors, intense subject matter,
goes unnoticed. This play of
the fabric resting on the
historical and contemporary
dark and light focus the eye to
woman’s head. The use of
events along with more
Romanticism began as a
THE ANALYSIS OF A PAINTING BY DELACROIX
expressive techniques in
emotionless and hurt in a way.
appealing to the eye due to the
regards to creating. The
Along with violence there is a
use of hues and shades in color
painting “Woman with a
sense of some sexual emotion.
along with how the eye of the
Parrot� suggests subjects of
This is due to the fact that she is
admirer drifts throughout the
violence considering that the
lying naked on what could
painting.
woman is nude and the regard
appear to be her gown.
on her face. It seems
Personally, I find the piece
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STORY TITLE
Written by Jessica Eve Shetler