The Sea at Dieppe

Eugène Delacroix

ca. 1852–54 · Watercolor on laid paper · Drawings and Prints

Delacroix made five visits to Dieppe in the 1850s, pronouncing his "passion for the sea" in letters sent from the coastal town. The hours spent staring out at the English Channel resulted in perceptive interpretations of water’s various color effects. Here, yellow rippling waves cover almost two-thirds of the sheet and give way to a teal-blue horizon. The artist wrote in his journal: "The sun was behind me, and thus the side of the waves that rose up before me was yellow, the side turned towards the horizon reflecting the color of the sky." A second view in the upper right of the sheet represents a calmer sea before a landmass. The inscription below notes: "In good weather the mountains are violet and the tone of the sea appears green."

Artist

Eugène Delacroix

Date

ca. 1852–54

Medium

Watercolor on laid paper

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Gift from the Karen B. Cohen Collection of Eugène Delacroix, in honor of Jill Newhouse, 2014