A Lord from the Period of Francis I (Un Seigneur de temps de François Ier)

A Lord from the Period of Francis I (Un Seigneur de temps de François Ier) by Eugène Delacroix, executed in 1833, is a potent example of the artist’s engagement with historical portraiture rendered through the medium of etching. This classification as a print falls squarely within Delacroix's highly productive period between 1826 and 1850, an era where the French Romantic movement often revisited moments of national heritage and grandeur.

The subject is a distinguished nobleman, portrayed with a gravitas and intensity characteristic of the artist’s style. Delacroix deliberately chose attire and ornamentation evocative of the early 16th-century French Renaissance court, reflecting the Romantic fascination with historical specificity. Despite depicting a figure from an earlier epoch, the execution of this work is entirely characteristic of Delacroix’s dramatic and emotive rendering. The etching technique allows for subtle gradations of shadow and light, defining the texture of the nobleman’s garments and conveying a sense of authoritative presence.

As a leading figure in French art, Delacroix explored graphic arts alongside his monumental paintings, utilizing prints as a means of wider dissemination and focused technical exploration. The meticulous handling of line and composition in this piece underscores his mastery of multiple disciplines. The existence of high-quality impressions of these prints demonstrates the lasting interest in Delacroix's graphic output. This particular work, A Lord from the Period of Francis I, is a significant holding within the print collection of the National Gallery of Art. Due to its historical importance and collection status, the work is often made available through public domain resources, ensuring continued access for scholarly study of the Romantic master’s interpretation of history.