A visit to the Eugène Delacroix Museum
Regarded as one of the greatest figures of the 19th century’s Romantic movement, Eugène Delacroix is perhaps best known for the iconic work called Liberty Leading the People. The Hotel d'Angleterre invites you to discover the Musée Eugène Delacroix, located in the artist’s former apartment. You’ll find this excellent museum on the Rue Fürstenberg, within easy walking distance of our hotel, in the legendary Saint-Germain-des-Prés district.
A brief history of the museum
The painter Eugène Delacroix lived the last six years of his life in an apartment at 6 Rue de Fürstenberg. In December 1857 he wished to be close to the Church of Saint-Sulpice to work on his mural in the Chapel of the Holy Angels. He abandoned his workshop on the Rue Notre-Dame-de-Lorette to set up his easels, canvases and brushes in his new accommodation on the Rue de Fürstenberg, which opened onto a pleasant private garden. This apartment was the artist’s home until his death in August 1863.
In 1928 the Société d’Amis d’Eugène Delacroix rented the apartment to hold an exhibition every year in tribute to the painter and to start a collection facilitated by donations. Acquired by the state in 1971, the three-room apartment, with its studio and lovely garden, now houses the Musée National Eugène Delacroix.
An introduction to Eugène Delacroix
This apartment, which has been largely preserved as it was when Delacroix lived there, houses the museum’s permanent collections, including canvases, sketches, drawings, letters and personal items. Also displayed are works by the artist’s friends, pupils and teachers.
You’re sure to enjoy visiting the apartment, with its workshop and flower-filled romantic garden, a true haven of peace reached by a small staircase. In summer, benches shaded by the foliage of large trees offer an invitation to savour the serenity.
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Hotel d'Angleterre, a charming hotel at the heart of Saint Germain des Prés