Blogpost: Footprint Books - Art feature: Delacroix and Home

Posted by T • September 24, 2018

Posted by T • September 24, 2018

Delacroix

Barthelemy Jobert.

Princeton University Press

 

Alright – Eugene Delacroix.

To describe this French craftsman as “prolific” would be an understatement par excellence. His oeuvre is expansive and very diverse and it is not for a lack of trying to cover all aspects of it, as there is a myriad of books tackling his output from a vast array of angles – angles which tend to change throughout the ages.

Barthelemy Jobert is a luminary when it comes to his subject, i.e. being professor of Art History at the university of the Sorbonne, his tome on Delacroix is informed by the extensive access to his illustrations from all major galleries in France along with elaborations on Delacroix’ ornaments that adorn Paris’ public buildings, which is particularly interesting as most of them are usually not open to the public.

Despite his academic background, Jobert shares his insights in an accessible and engaging manner that caters to both the uninitiated as well as the scholar.

His book is thoughtful, well-paced and he does not hold back with his conclusions and how he arrived at them. If you are not familiar with Delacroix, it is hard to imagine that you could source a better guide to induct you.

What I like about Delacroix is the ferocious manner in which he borderline attacks motifs, which radiates from his paintings. This opulently illustrated book does justice to the detailed depictions of blossoms along with topical biblical and Shakespearean compositions, his strong grasp of architecture and the authentic and attentive homages to wild life, which still inspire terror and awe in equal measures.

If you are remotely into 19th-century European art, it would be your loss if you missed out on this frank portrait of Delacroix – an artist that is commonly considered both the first modern artist and last classical artist. An artist whose emissions elicited a powerful riposte that is partly due to his adulation for the old masters, which reverberates in each of his paintings.

 

Home for Surrealism

Arts Club of Chicago

 

Surrealism. Dreamlike paintings.

Salvador Dali and his works spring to mind.

Not necessarily Chicago, however, as this book illustrates the windy city and the Midwest in general seemed to have been fertile ground for surreal artists in the mid of the twentieth century.

A Home for Surrealism depicts those paintings, which were created by artists that took the European school of surrealism, reflected on it and made it their own. Their redefinitions of surrealism run the gamut from upbeat daydreaming to having the abyss of nightmares gazing back into you, depending on the individual psyche of their creators – which is an interesting point of difference: Traditional surrealism was more or less a movement of sorts, partly politically inspired, while the American equivalent is more of an exploration of the mind and imaginations spurned by it.

The book comprises meditations, depictions of landscapes, self-portraits and many other styles created with different media and methods of painting.

If one had to determine a common denominator, it would be the meticulous approach and the nuances in which things are intentionally wrongly depicted. If one was to contextualise the Midwestern surrealist movement of the 1940s and -50s, it stood out against the predominant trends of the era, an era where abstract expressionism reigned supreme, by interpreting the European movement as something more personal and accessible and merging it with fantasy – fuelled by jazz, blues and Beatnik traditions.

The book supports the notion that Surrealism in Chicago, i.e. the refusal of the status quo and the embracing of the unreal, in Chicago shaped and reverberated through the arts scene in the Midwest ever after – along with what appears to be an innate desire to question and redefine things that seem to be set in stone.

T • September 24, 2018

More recent blogposts

Coheed and Cambria, Taking Back Sunday and Foxing

Posted by Mirela Z. • August 27, 2025

Coheed and Cambria, Taking Back Sunday, Foxing Budweiser Stage Toronto, Canada August 24, 2025 What a treat catching two great bands Taking Back Sunday and Coheed and Cambria co-headlining on their 2025 North American tour. Special guest Foxing, from St. Louis, Missouri, opened the night with a 30 minute set, weaving delicate melodies into explosive waves of emotion that filled … Read more

Chevelle – Bright as Blasphemy tour 2025

Posted by Mirela Z. • August 23, 2025

Chevelle @ Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto, Canada August 20, 2025 That feeling, when you’re having the best experience ever, and you don’t want it to end! Chevelle delivered a powerful headlining performance marking a high-energy stop on their 38-date North American Bright as Blasphemy tour, with supporting acts Dead Poet Society and Asking Alexandria setting the stage. A wall … Read more

Less Than Jake Summer Circus @ RMA 8/1/25

Posted by Aaron H • August 6, 2025

Less Than Jake - Credit: AMH The circus is in town. Less Than Jake are currently on their Summer Circus Tour promoting their latest EP, Uncharted. They've brought along ska and punk legends Fishbone and The Suicide Machines and ska newcomers, Catbite. Together, they've melded a perfect mish-mash of bands suitable for all ages. Riverside was in for a good … Read more

The Hives @ Enmore Theatre

Posted by T • July 26, 2025

The Hives Enmore Theatre Sydney, Australia July 23, 2025 Let’s be clear: The Hives didn’t play a show. They detonated one. On a cool Sydney night at the Enmore Theatre, the Swedish kings of garage rock stormed the stage like tuxedoed insurgents, staging a velvet-clad coup d’état against anything remotely resembling restraint. It wasn’t a concert. It was controlled chaos … Read more

Gob @ Peterborough Music Festival

Posted by Mirela Z. • July 22, 2025

Gob @ Peterborough Music Festival Peterborough, Ontario, Canada July 19, 2025 Gob nailed their set, energizing both die‑hard and casual fans alike. The band’s punchy hooks and raw performance had the crowd bouncing throughout the 90‑minute set, delivering both nostalgia and vitality. A perfect addition to a summer night in Peterborough! All photos by @front.row.fans Read more

Murder City Devils/Animal Self @ GHCH 7/12/25

Posted by Aaron H • July 17, 2025

Murder City Devils - Credit: AMH The Murder City Devils don't get out much anymore, so when the opportunity presented itself, I made my way down to Pomona to catch one of the 2 shows they had lined up in California. They brought along Animal Self, which features Kareem Karam and Coady Willis from Murder City Devils as well as … Read more

Daryl Gussin - A Year In Submission

Posted by Jiffy Marx • July 16, 2025

Can't say my review of it will be as well written or entertaining as this book of 50 poems by Daryl Gussin. Daryl is the managing editor of Razorcake. Daryl was in an awesome punk band called God Equals Genocide. Daryl is my friend but also possibly my spirit animal. Part of me wonders if the leather jacket that Daryl … Read more

Tripping Daisy North American Tour 2025

Posted by Mirela Z. • July 13, 2025

Tripping Daisy @ Lee's Palace Toronto, Canada July 11, 2025 Tripping Daisy brought us back to 1995 and sounded better than ever! When the crowd sings along 30 years later there’s no better feeling! All photos by @front.row.fans Read more

Death from Above 1979

Posted by Mirela Z. • July 6, 2025

Death from Above 1979 @ SummerStage New York, USA July 2, 2025 Death from Above 1979 tore through SummerStage with pure, unfiltered energy. The Toronto duo delivered a thunderous set packed with fuzzed-out bass, pounding drums, and raw vocals that had the crowd thrashing from the first note. From classics like “Romantic Rights” to newer bangers, the band was tight, … Read more

Sum 41 @ Scotiabank Arena

Posted by Mirela Z. • June 19, 2025

Sum 41 final shows - day 1 of 2 Scotiabank Arena Toronto Canada Jan. 28, 2025 All photos by @front.row.fans   Read more