DELACROIX Eugène (1798-1863). Lot n° 69

7 L.A.S. "Eug. Delacroix", Paris and Champrosay 1855-1858 and n.d., to Jules-Joseph ARNOUX; 10 pages in-8, one address. Letters to the art critic who always supported him. November 17, 1855, about the award ceremony for the winners of the Exposition Universelle [Delacroix received a medal of honor and was elevated to the rank of Commander of the Legion of Honor]. "I read with great pleasure what you inserted about me in the Patrie of the 15th: I recognize there your benevolence which did not fail me, when the encouragements were rare"... March 7, 1858. "Tomorrow, Monday, and the day after tomorrow, Tuesday, you will find me from two to three o'clock if you can take the trouble to come, and I shall be very happy to receive you"... 3 February. His article pleased him: "You tell me things over the top in it and you certainly make me love my work infinitely more than I would do by far. You have also perfectly explained and understood what I wanted to express"... Monday. "I am absolutely forbidden to receive anyone: it is a series of little conversations lasting a quarter of an hour that have put me in the state I am in now, when I was convalescing. I have been locked up for three months"... Tuesday. He takes care to facilitate the entrance he desires... Sunday morning. He has a scruple: "I have very great obligations to THORÉ for the way he has treated me for at least fifteen years in Le Constitutionnel: it is therefore very essential that you can assure me that he will give up doing the fine arts articles in the paper. There would be something odious on my part to contribute to putting someone in his place, as long as he does not give up his position as editor. [Do not think that it costs me the least to support you with Mr. Véron"... Champrosay June 9th. He refuses to make the approach to Véron. "THORÉ having been informed of your desire and not having answered it, which would have been easy for him, seems to me to leave his withdrawal from the collaboration of the journal uncertain. Perhaps, not having been forewarned of the refusal to work for the Constitutional from now on, he will only give it up if he is told to do so, and frankly it is impossible for me to help ensure that this boot is worn. To my regret at not being able to serve you is added that of not having clarified this difficulty with you on the spot when I saw you: but I was quite dizzy with the amount of things I had to do when I left and I did not think about it. You were kind enough to give me the two articles from La Liberté. [...] the one you wrote about my Salon made me very grateful"... Attached is a printed invitation to visit his painting in the Gallery of Apollo, in the Louvre, [October 15, 1851], addressed to Arnoux, with a description of his painting, Apollo conqueror of the serpent Python.