Eaux-Fortes Modernes. Plate 197. Arabes d'Oran (Arabs of Oran)

Eugène Delacroix (1798-1863) was a French artist regarded from the outset of his career as the leader of the Romantic school. Although best known for his paintings and murals, Delacroix also produced etchings, lithographs and hundreds of drawings. They are relatively underrated because of the superficially persuasive and pervasive image of Delacroix as a painter, not a drawer or printmaker.

This etching shows an outdoor setting with two men, one reclining and facing the viewer, the other seated with his legs drawn into his chest and gazing out to the right. They are dressed in robes and wear Arabic 'Guhtra' headdresses. They have rifles at their sides. In the background on the right are two men, one riding a horse, who go towards a group of buildings in the distance.

Delacroix's visit to Algeria and Morocco in 1832 gave him direct experience with the exotic land and culture of North Africa and exerted a lifelong impact on him. This scene, depicting two hunters from Oran, Algeria, shows both the dignified appearance of the men as well as accurately portrayed details of dress and weapons. It has been suggested that the left-hand man is a self-portrait of Delacroix himself, indicating the profundity of his North African experience. A closely related oil painting is in the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum.

See:  Museum of Michigan Museum of Art, 'Arabes d'Oran; Eugene Delacroix', https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1953-sl-2.25/1953_2.25___jpg

Dr Mark Stocker   Curator, Historical International Art     April 2018