Figure Studies after Rubens's "Fall of the Rebel Angels"

Figure Studies after Rubens's "Fall of the Rebel Angels" by Eugène Delacroix represents a crucial phase in the young artist’s academic development, demonstrating his intensive study of the Baroque tradition. Executed in graphite on paper between 1815 and 1827, this drawing documents the foundational importance of copying the Old Masters in the formation of French Romanticism. The work isolates and reinterprets dramatic figures from Peter Paul Rubens’s monumental canvas, allowing Delacroix to dissect the anatomical power and dynamic arrangement of the composition.

Housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection, this study reflects Delacroix’s early commitment to expressive figure work. The artist analyzed the contorted, struggling bodies populating Rubens’s chaotic scene, producing focused studies of both male nudes and female nudes. The graphite lines are quick and observational, capturing the muscularity and motion essential to the Baroque style while adapting the robust forms into Delacroix’s burgeoning visual language.

Delacroix sought to master the expressive energy that defined his primary influence, Rubens, translating the Baroque master’s complex arrangement into individual, manageable lessons on human anatomy and dramatic posture. This intensive preparatory process was foundational for Delacroix’s later, large-scale narrative paintings. As a document of artistic training and intellectual borrowing from the history of art, this drawing is frequently studied by scholars. High-quality prints of this work are available, ensuring broad access to the foundational elements of Delacroix’s mastery.