Studies for "Lélia" 1846 - 1847

Curator: This is Eugène Delacroix’s "Studies for 'Lélia,'" currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: Hmm, it's a whirlwind of limbs and faces, all sketched with this nervous energy. Almost frantic, like a dream you can't quite grasp. Curator: Precisely. Delacroix was known for his Romantic fervor, his fascination with intense emotion and dramatic narratives. These studies were preliminary sketches for a print illustrating George Sand’s novel, "Lélia." Editor: Sand, eh? Figures. The queen of tormented love and social critique. It makes sense that Delacroix would vibe with her. It's like feeling trapped in an existential pressure cooker. Curator: The composition, the raw quality of the line work, offers insight into Delacroix's creative process. His commitment to freedom of expression and questioning societal norms echoes in Sand’s literary work. Editor: It's funny; even in these rapid sketches, he captures such distinct personalities. It's as if he were pulling them straight from his imagination. Makes me wonder about his own personal struggles. Curator: This sketch is really interesting as it underscores how artists engage with the social and political ideas of their time, even if those ideas are filtered through literature. Editor: For me, though, it is more about the raw emotion, the unspoken fears and desires that hide just beneath the surface. I guess that's why Delacroix moves me.