Entry of the Crusaders into Constantinople Postcard

This is a reproduction of “Entry of the Crusdaders into Constantinople” of 1840 by Eugene Delacroix. This massive painting describes the scene as the soldiers of the Fourth Crusade sacked the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire in 1204. The painting was commissioned by King Louis Philippe in 1838 and completd two years later. Delacroix was aged forty-two when this was created. He had burst upon the French artistic word at the age of twenty-four with his “Barque of Dante” and became an immediate leader of the new Romantic movement. In contrast to the perfectionist Academics, Delacroix led the Romantics in the use of expressive brushstrokes being inspired by Rubens and Titan. He favored exotic scenes and emphasized colour and movement rather than clarity of line. Though hs subjects were full of passion and violence, he depicted them with a great clarifty. He died in 1863 and influenced both the Impressionists and the Symbolists. This painting is an oil on canvas and measures 196 by 160 inches. It is in the Musee du Louvre in Paris.