Brother Martin with Goetz

The dramatic print Brother Martin with Goetz was created in 1836 by the collaborative duo Eugène Delacroix and Bertauts. Classified formally as a print, the work utilizes the demanding technique of lithography applied to chine collé. This specific medium involves adhering a thin piece of high-quality, often oriental, paper (the chine) onto a thicker sheet of backing paper, a process that enhances the subtlety and richness of the ink tones produced by the lithographic stone.

This piece falls squarely within the French Romantic period, spanning from 1826 to 1850. Delacroix, a pivotal figure in 19th-century French art, was renowned for choosing emotionally charged historical and literary themes; the title suggests a narrative focused on dramatic human interaction or conflict, typical of the era’s fascination with historical complexity. The lithographic process, with its capacity for deep blacks and high contrast, suited the intense emotionality characteristic of Delacroix’s designs. The collaboration with Bertauts, who was responsible for the technical execution of the prints, highlights the growing professionalism and commercial viability of graphic arts during this time.

The work serves as a significant example of how masters translated their sweeping pictorial imagination into reproducible print formats for a broader audience. It provides key insight into the graphic output of the mid-19th century, demonstrating the power of lithography as a tool for storytelling and dramatic illustration. This fine impression of the lithograph resides in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art. Like many important 19th-century prints, the work, its subject matter often derived from literary sources, is a valued part of museum scholarship, frequently made accessible to the public through digital archives and public domain resources.