BOME

Post-Orient Work:

Eugene Delacroix, Algerian Women in Their Apartments 1834

In 1832, Delacroix followed his dreams of the orient and traveled to Morocco and Algeria where he found himself in an alien world. Out of the "civilized" city lights and dense streets, he was plunged into a culture filled with half naked people wearing exotic clothing and living a "barbaric" life style. Delacroix kept a journal during this trip and recorded detail after detail trying to put down on paper something which was so unfamiliar and new to him. One disconnected journal entry upon the first few weeks of his visit to the Orient shows his awe, excitement, terror and complete bafflement at this new culture:

"…The sea a dark greenish blue like a fig, the hedges yellow at the top…a Jewess, red skullcap, white drapery, black dress. Heads of Moors like those of Rubens, nostrils and lips rather coarse, bold eyes…The almond trees in flower. The Persian lilacs. The little white horses in the shadow amidst among the dark orange trees. The horse through the trees. The red veil. The beautiful eyes…"

His trip fulfilled every fantasy of the Orient and even in his descriptions one can see how he was amazed by its unique and different culture. However, even though he did see a new kind of exotic world that was unknown to him it was not void of the work and materials which consumed the European culture. Nevertheless, Delacroix was not interested in the similarities between the two places but focused on the alien and foreign aspects of the orient life. For example, Delacroix's "Algerian Women in their Apartments" {1834} captures a scene of women lounging around their house, but in a different and more relaxed way than Delacroix was used to.

In his journal he wrote:

"They have…small naked white feet, barely covered by pointed slippers; these, which are opened at the back, reveal their delightful pink heels. When they are home, they abandon these little shoes and those charming feet tread freely on carpets…The lower part of their legs is adorned by very broad silver anklets which embellish this bare flesh and draw attention to it in a most graceful manner."

Although this scene was very ordinary to the Algerian people, through his western eyes, he saw an alien place filled with an exotic and erotic feel, unique his own lifestyle. Their naked feet, bare flesh and graceful manner molds a sensual vision of these women who are dressed and act differently then the women of his time.

His painting shows three wives surrounded by accessories, which were later characterized as allegorical symbols in Orientalist paintings. For example, toe slippers, a bowl of fruit, a water pipe, rugs and low couches. These accessories are later seen as idealistic oriental items, associated with the common life of the oriental people. Overall in this painting, Delacroix establishes one of the first Orientalist paintings through his lively colors, unique subject matter, and an underlying erotic theme

Arab Saddling his Horse 1855

This painting done by Delacroix after his trip to Morocco shows a man saddeling his horse, a much more realistic scene than his pre orient work. The man is doing a daily event and doesn't seem distraught with pain , like the people in his pre orient work did. Delacroix saw something in this common man so realistic and truthful which he though actually displayed the quintiseential Eastern person. Although the man is not quite engaged in labor, this painting comes closest to showing an Eastern man without the westernized contorted view by placing him in some heroic or exotic surrounding.