The musée national Eugène-Delacroix
Housed in Eugène Delacroix’s former apartment, the Musée National Eugène-Delacroix is dedicated to the painter’s memory. It was created on the initiative of some of the greatest artists of the 1920s – such as Maurice Denis, Paul Signac, Édouard Vuillard and Ker-Xavier Roussel – and is a testament to their admiration for Delacroix and his work.
The museum is closed for renovation work from September 19, 2023 to March 26, 2024.
Reopening on March 27, 2024 with a new exhibition “Ingres and Delacroix. Artist objects"
A studio-museum in the heart of Paris
The Musée National Eugène-Delacroix is housed in an apartment and studio in the central Paris neighbourhood of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, where Eugène Delacroix (1798-1863) lived and worked for several years and where he died in 1863. The studio-museum pays tribute to one of the greatest artists of the 19th century and provides a singular insight into his work.
The museum was inaugurated in 1932. It owes its existence to the Society of Friends of Eugène Delacroix, comprising artists such as Maurice Denis and Paul Signac who arranged for Delacroix’s last home to be turned into a museum. The Musée National Eugène-Delacroix was affiliated with the Louvre in 2004.
What does the museum display?
The masterpieces on display in Eugène Delacroix’s last apartment and studio include Mary Magdalene in the Desert (a painting greatly admired by Baudelaire), The Education of the Virgin, Romeo and Juliet and the fresco Bacchus with a Tiger. There are also lesser known works such as the Study of Bindings, Oriental Jacket and Figures after Goya, characteristic of the artist’s creativity, and a model for the decor of the library at the Assemblée Nationale.
Sketches, finished paintings, prints and drawings in various techniques introduce visitors to the broad range of the artist’s talent and cast light on his creative process. The museum also displays portraits of Delacroix and copies of his major works (The Death of Sardanapalus, Women of Algiers, etc.) by his friends or admirers such as Henri Fantin-Latour.
A year-round programme of events
In addition to its annual temporary exhibitions showcasing different aspects of Delacroix’s art or casting a new light on his era, the Musée National Eugène-Delacroix proposes a rich and varied program of cultural events including conferences, concerts, workshops and discussions with contemporary artists. The garden provides visitors with a veritable haven of peace from which they can admire the facade of the studio Delacroix had built and decorated to his liking. In 2019, the museum had almost 75,000 visitors.
Nouvelle présentation thématique des collections du musée :
NU COMME HABILLE. DELACROIX ET LE VETEMENT
3 juillet 2024 – 3 février 2025
Pour sa nouvelle présentation des collections, le musée Delacroix porte un nouveau regard sur les œuvres : Comment les personnes et les personnages de fiction représentés par Delacroix sont-ils vêtus ? Quel est le rôle du vêtement ou de son absence dans la représentation du sujet ? Cherche-t-il à peindre des costumes précis en lien avec une époque ?
Did you know?
Eugène Delacroix was not just an outstanding painter, but also a gifted writer. His early manuscripts, published in 2018, are on display in the Musée Delacroix.