Eugène Delacroix’s “Le 28 juillet – la liberté guidant le people”, dated 1830, will be the highlight of Christie’s Classic Week 19th Century European & Orientalist Art auction to be held on December 14, 2017. Pegged at £700,000-1,000,000, the vivid sketch in oil was created impromptu by Delacroix as the precursor to his magnum opus “La liberté guidant le people” which is housed at the Louvre Museum in Paris. The speedy and smooth strokes offer an unforeseen glimpse of the artist’s creative process. The figure of Liberty forms the focus of the painting, encircled by the “fallen men” who occupy the main plane. To the left of the sketch as well as the final painting is a crucial figure glancing upwards in hope and adulation. The artwork will be exhibited at Christie’s in Paris from October 13 through October 18. Thereafter, it will be showcased at Christie’s London Classic Week from December 2 through December 13, 2017.“La Liberté guidant le people is one of the most iconic works in art history and we are extremely excited to present the only known oil sketch of Delacroix’s masterpiece to collectors this December, during Christie’s Classic Week. The fluidity of the sketch and the use of sharp diagonal lines exemplifies the artistic mastery of Delacroix, portraying the dynamism and movement for which the final composition is known,” says Arne Everwijn, Head of Sale, 19th Century European & Orientalist Art, London. The final painting and the many attempts before it were products of Delacroix’s wish to portray the unfortunate happenings of the Greek War of Independence in the 1820s.Click here to view the slideshow.
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