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

Figure Studies after Rubens's "The Fall of the Rebel Angels" is a dynamic early drawing by Eugène Delacroix, executed circa 1815-1825. Classification as a drawing, the work utilizes pen and iron gall ink over preliminary graphite outlines. The choice of iron gall ink highlights Delacroix's commitment to mastering traditional drawing techniques during his formative years, establishing a foundation of rigorous draftsmanship that would underpin his career as the leading figure of French Romanticism.

This work serves as a powerful example of Delacroix’s intense engagement with the Old Masters. The specific subject references Peter Paul Rubens’s monumental Baroque painting of the archangel Michael casting the rebel angels out of heaven. By meticulously focusing on the figure studies within the composition, Delacroix honed his understanding of complex, interlocking anatomy and the portrayal of intense physical drama and movement—lessons directly taken from Rubens’s mastery of dynamic action. The dense arrangement of overlapping, struggling figures demonstrates Delacroix’s deep commitment to capturing expressive human form, essential for his later monumental canvases, such as The Massacre at Chios.

Created during a crucial transitional period for the artist, this study reveals the direct influence of 17th-century European art on the emerging Romantic sensibility in France. The work resides within the comprehensive collection of drawings at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Though this original piece remains unique to the museum's holdings, the broader accessibility of the artist's prolific output ensures that many of Delacroix's significant sketches and studies are frequently digitized and placed in the public domain, providing wide access for students and collectors seeking high-quality prints of his draftsmanship.