Perseus, Andromeda, and Apollo, after Bartoli

Perseus, Andromeda, and Apollo, after Bartoli by Eugène Delacroix, is an important pen and brown ink drawing executed sometime between 1817 and 1827. This preparatory work or study copy highlights Delacroix’s academic practice of engaging directly with historical sources, specifically basing his composition on an existing model by Bartoli, likely a reproductive print or engraving depicting classical sculpture or painting. The original Bartoli source referenced was crucial for artists of the Romantic period seeking to imbue their work with the grandeur of antiquity.

The medium of pen and brown ink allows for swift definition and dynamic contouring, ideal for mapping out complex and dramatic scenes. Delacroix utilizes this technique to capture the heroic narrative central to Classical Mythology: the rescue of the Ethiopian princess Andromeda by the hero Perseus, with the added presence of the god Apollo who observes or presides over the action. The early date range of the drawing places it within the initial decade of Delacroix’s activity, demonstrating his burgeoning interest in complex figural groupings and expressive mythological subjects that would come to define his mature Romantic style.

This significant drawing offers valuable insight into the foundational influences shaping Delacroix’s career and is maintained within the prestigious collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As a drawing key to understanding the artist's early methodology, high-quality images and accompanying documentation of studies like Perseus, Andromeda, and Apollo, after Bartoli are often released into the public domain, making detailed prints available for global art historical reference and study.