Beginning in the 19th Century from the Shadows of Two Masters

077-1_ingres_1808_la_baigneuse_de_valpincon_146x97_musee_du_louvre_resize — Ingres The Grand Bather 146x97 cm 1808 Collection of the Louvre Museum, Paris

078-1_ingres_1814_la_grande_odalisque_91x162_musee_du_louvre — Ingres The Grand Bather 91x162 cm 1814 Collection of the Louvre Museum, Paris

068_delacroix_1834_femmes_d_alger_180x229_musee_du_louvre_resize — Delacroix Women of Algiers 180x229 cm 1834 Collection of the Louvre Museum, Paris

069_delacroix_1860_chevaux_arabes_se_battant_64-5x81_musee_d_orsay_resize

Delacroix, Horse Fight, 64.5x81 cm, 1860, Collection of the Musée d'Orsay, Paris

Nineteenth-century painting art began under the realistic influence of the Neoclassical Ingres—that is, perfect bodily contours, fair skin, charming faces, and streamlined curves forming dynamic postures, showcasing the beauty of Neoclassicism. This aspect quickly became the patented taste of the academy and also became fashionable decorative objects in middle-class homes of the time.

Influencing the new generation of avant-garde art was the Romantic master Delacroix. His bold romantic sentiment, intensely rough brushstrokes, and agitated colors, almost like abstract expressionism, had an enlightening influence on young artists dissatisfied with the academy, especially having a direct and positive effect and impact on the new aesthetic of Impressionist painters. Delacroix laid the foundation and prospects for modern art.