French Romantic painter Eugène Delacroix (1798-1863) was one of the greatest creative figures of the nineteenth century. Working in the years after the fall of Napoleon, Delacroix found resonance between his tumultuous present in Paris and the storied past of Antiquity, producing an extraordinarily vibrant body of work that would inspire revolutionary artists in his wake, from Manet to Picasso.

Delacroix debuted at the Salon of 1822 with The Barque of Dante, a subject taken from Dante’s Inferno, part one of his epic poem, Divine Comedy, which describes his journey through hell, guided by the ancient Roman poet Virgil. In this scene, from canto eight, Dante is crossing the River Styx in the City of the Dead, steadied by Virgil as his barque wades through waters churning with tormented souls.

The painting was acquired by the French state and installed at the relatively new Musée du Luxembourg—opened four years earlier for the display of works by living artists—immediately establishing Delacroix’s reputation as a major talent.

This study after Delacroix’s critically acclaimed painting suggests the extent to which it was already considered a touchstone in its own day. Though at a reduced scale, this copy successfully captures the drama of Delacroix’s monumental composition, matching the musculature of its writhing figures, rising from the depths, and the dynamic movement of the protagonist's frightful voyage.