Letter to Pierre Marie Pietri, with envelope

The document titled Letter to Pierre Marie Pietri, with envelope, created by Eugène Delacroix between 1857 and 1867, is executed in precise pen and brown ink. This piece of personal and professional correspondence offers a rare, intimate glimpse into the late career and everyday activities of the celebrated French Romantic painter. Given its classification as "Other," this work is valued not for its pictorial content but as a significant historical artifact detailing the networks and administrative concerns of the artist’s later life. The correspondence is addressed to Pierre Marie Pietri, a figure connected to French officialdom, suggesting Delacroix was navigating social, administrative, or perhaps professional artistic matters at the time.

The execution in pen and brown ink highlights Delacroix’s characteristic quickness and expressive use of line, even when focused on the functional task of writing rather than drawing. While Delacroix is known primarily for his monumental oil paintings, archival works such as this are crucial for scholars studying his working methodology, financial affairs, and personal networks, offering primary source material to complement the visual arts record.

These materials are vital for establishing the provenance and chronology of the artist's output. This delicate work remains an important holding within the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, ensuring the preservation of a direct textual link to the master of French Romanticism. As documentation frequently requested for academic purposes, materials relating to Delacroix’s life, including records of this piece, are sometimes made available as high-quality prints, allowing the public domain to benefit from scholarly access.