Figure Studies for the Salon du Roi, Palais Bourbon

Figure Studies for the Salon du Roi, Palais Bourbon is a significant graphite drawing created by Eugène Delacroix between 1833 and 1838. This detailed sheet of preparatory work was essential for the vast decorative cycle Delacroix executed in the Palais Bourbon, one of his most important early commissions from the French government. Classified as a drawing, the work underscores the meticulous planning and anatomical exploration that preceded the execution of the final oil-on-plaster murals in the King’s Room, now an integral part of the French National Assembly building.

Delacroix employed graphite, a foundational medium for nineteenth-century artists, to rapidly sketch individual figures, capturing the dynamic poses and detailed drapery studies necessary for the complex allegorical and historical narratives he was tasked with illustrating. The commission itself solidified Delacroix’s standing during the July Monarchy, placing him centrally within the official art establishment while still maintaining the energetic freedom characteristic of the Romantic movement.

These surviving studies reveal Delacroix’s intense working process, demonstrating how he isolated figures to perfect proportion and movement before scaling them up for the immense architectural space. This particular piece, which offers direct insight into the creation of a monumental decorative project, is proudly housed within the extensive collection of drawings at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Because the artwork holds significant historical and artistic merit, high-resolution versions are frequently available in the public domain, allowing students and collectors easy access to prints of Delacroix's foundational preparatory studies.