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Romaissa Dahri 743187 25-09-2024 CC1001 word count: 517 wordsThe women of Algiers: an Orientalist fantasy
Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix, born in 1798 and died in 1863, is seen as one of
the biggest artists in the romantic movement in 19 th century France. He was known
for his dynamic brushstrokes and vibrant use of colour which influenced the
impressionist movement. He was also an accomplished lithographer. He created
illustrations for the works of Shakespeare, Walter Scott, and Goethe. Delacroix
looked to art made by Rubens and in the Venetian Renaissance for inspiration. His
art often explored dramatic, romantic themes, drawing inspiration not only from
antiquity, but also from the ‘exotic’’ scenes of North Africa.(Huyghe,2024)
Women of Algiers in their Apartment was Delacroix's first major work inspired
by his time in Morocco, depicting a visit to a harem. Harem in this case being derived
from haram, which meant forbidden in Arabic, was a space in the house specifically
for women.(Li, n.d) Since harems were typically guarded and difficult to access for
strange men, Delacroix was fortunate to meet a man who owned a private harem and
allowed him to stay, giving him permission to create several watercolour sketches
during his visit. From these watercolour sketches Delacroix painted the women of
Algiers in their apartment when he returned to his home in France . Romanticism and
Orientalism often did go hand in hand in this time period and Delacroix his painting is
no exception.
In the painting we can see three women sitting down and one standing. The
three women lounging on the floor are depicted in a relaxed and calm setting. The
woman at the far right of the painting is a servant. Throughout the painting there are
stereotypes and a certain romanticization of the north African women. The relaxed
and open posture of the three women on the floor create this ‘exotic’ fantasy woman.
The loose fitted clothes and exposed parts of the chests only amplify this. An
example of a stereotype in the painting is the waterpipe which is depicted in between
the three women. The waterpipe symbolised opium to the European viewers at the
time. This painting is more so a depiction of a romanticised western fantasy of a north
African harem, rather than a realistic depiction of one.
This painting, similar to most paintings by Delacroix, is mostly painted with
darker oil paints on canvas. He did this to make the brighter colours and lighting pop.
There a lot of technical details in the painting such as the little bit of light reflecting in
the mirror, the glass waterpipe and the texture on the fabrics of the clothing but also
the carpet and pillows.(Artble)
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