The Agony in the Garden

The Agony in the Garden from 1827 at the Church of Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis in Paris shows Delacroix treating the Passion with Romantic intensity. This early religious commission demonstrates his ability to invest traditional sacred subjects with emotional power. As the leading French Romantic painter, Delacroix brought passionate color and dynamic energy to all his subjects; his journal records his constant study of color relationships and his admiration for Rubens, Constable, and Veronese.

The nocturnal scene is rendered with dramatic lighting and rich color. Delacroix's handling of Christ's anguish combines devotional tradition with Romantic emotional expression.