Portrait of Frederic Chopin, Eugene Delacroix, 1838

Description of the picture:

Portrait of Frederic Chopin – Eugene Delacroix. 1838. Oil on canvas. 46×38

   Not the most popular, besides the unfinished work of the great artist, still attracts the attention of critics and the public for almost two centuries. It’s all about the history of the creation of work. The master was friendly with the composer. They were united by a once indomitable creative character and a thirst for creativity. The work was not ordered by the artist, he began to paint a portrait of his own free will. Moreover, the composer never posed for the master, the work was to be a surprise. But, the portrait was not completed. According to the painter himself, he left the inspiration and write a friend with "cool heart" the master simply could not.

   In front of the viewer is a pale young man with a lush, artistic hairstyle. The master makes bold, massive strokes the image of an energetic person who is deep in thought. Nothing distracts the viewer from the face of the hero. Deliberately strict clothes, neutral background. We can only imagine what the composer would look like if the work was completed.

   The painter has been known throughout his life as a revolutionary and subversive of colorful traditions. But in this unfinished work, we are faced by a professional and educated traditionalist who uses all the means of realism to express the difficult and excellent inner world of a great musician."