A Blacksmith

Eugène Delacroix, the leader of the French Romantic school of painters, was also active as a printmaker. Blacksmiths were a recurrent theme for Romantic artists. They showed man as a modern-day Vulcan, harnessing the elements of fire and earth for god-like creation. Focusing tightly on the heroic individual, Delacroix emphasized the blacksmith’s powerful physique. Light emanating from the white-hot iron illuminates the man’s shirt and sets his skin aglow. This is a superb example of one of the most desirable prints by Delacroix. It is an important addition to Mia's collection because of its rarity, quality, and pristine condition.