Sultan of Morocco
11:00 PM
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| Eugene Delacroix, Sultan of Morocco and his Entourage, 1845 |
Eugène Delacroix, a prominent French Romantic painter, uses animated brushstrokes and lively color in opposition with neo-classical perfectionism. Inspired by the Renaissance painters, such as Rubens, Delacroix’s style calls attention to movement and color rather than perfecting form. On a political trip to North Africa, Delacroix studied art and discovered foreign cultures. While there he wrote, "The Greeks and Romans are here at my door, in the Arabs who wrap themselves in a white blanket and look like Cato or Brutus…" Inspired by North African culture, Delacroix believed their style and ideology rivaled that of the classical Rome and Greece.
Delacroix’s Sultan of Morocco and his Entourage intended to pay homage to Comte de Mornay's diplomacy with the Sultan. However, Delacroix rejected this notion and instead focused on capturing the spirit of his new-found environment. Delacroix’s intentions are evident through his use of remarkably vivid and euphoric colors that transcend the figures they encompass. Moreover, color and movement work seamlessly together to combat the need for crisp lines. Delacroix manages to emphasize neither the Sultan nor the ambassador. Instead, the coloring of the sky, structures, and figures all equally portray the general atmosphere of jubilation and provide compositional balance.
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