Greece on the Ruins of Missolonghi
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| + | The painting is a forerunner of [[Delacroix]] most famous painting ''[[Liberty Leading the People]] (1830). | ||
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| - | [[Harem scenes in paintings and books]] were very popular in the time of [[Delacroix]]'s ''[[The Women of Algiers]]''. [[Orientalism]] reached its first high point during Napoleon's [[French Campaign in Egypt and Syria|Egyptian campaign]] of 1798, the year in which Delacroix was born. A further high point followed the French enthusiasm for all things Greek during the [[Greek revolution]] in 1821-30, during which time [[Victor Hugo]] authored the volume of poems ''[[Les Orientales]]'' and Delacroix contributed two paintings, ''[[The Massacre at Chios]]'' (1824) and ''[[Greece Expiring on the Ruins of Messolonghi]][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Eug%C3%A8ne_Ferdinand_Victor_Delacroix_017.jpg]'' (1826), a forerunner of his most famous painting ''[[Liberty Leading the People]] (1830). | ||
| - | European men made the [[Harem]] out to be a kind of plush private bordello; this painting has more than a little of this notion in it. The problem for European artists was that no European could obtain access to a Harem. Their fantasy depictions of it were therefore obviously pure inventions and often hardly believable. (see [[Jean-Léon Gérôme]]'s 1876 ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:HaremPool.jpg Pool in a Harem]'', for example) In contrast, Delacroix could rely upon his own eyes, which lends his work a special heft, believability and authority. | + | '''''Greece on the Ruins of Missolonghi''''' (La Grèce sur les ruines de Missolonghi) is an 1826 oil painting by French painter [[Eugène Delacroix]], and now preserved at the [[Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux]]. This painting was inspired by the [[Third Siege of Missolonghi]] by the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] forces in 1826, during which many people of the city after the long-time siege (almost a year) decided to attempt a mass breakout (''sortie'') to escape [[famine]] and [[epidemics]]. The attempt resulted in a disaster, with the larger part of the Greeks slain. |
| - | Nevertheless this painting reflects anything but reality, but rather presents a mixture of observation and generally accepted European conventions. Other than the black slave, who appears to be leaving the room, the women are conspicuous in their luxurious idleness. In reality, however, the Harem would be teeming with children and all kinds of activities- the women would have been in now way alone and idly awaiting the return of their man. This is even more amazing as Delacroix himself noted in his journal that children were not to be overlooked. The natural and domestic setting thus becomes a bordello, such as would have been easy to find in Paris. | + | ==Analysis== |
| + | Greece is depicted as a kneeling woman who occupies the major part of the painting. She is wearing a traditional Greek costume, her chest being widely bare, and she spreads her arms as a sign of sadness. The hand of a dead victim can be seen protruding from the rubble, beneath her feet. In the background, a dark-complexioned man wearing a yellow turban, who symbolizes the enemy, is planting a flag in the ground. | ||
| - | + | The painting borrows elements from [[Christianity]]. Indeed, "Greece adopts the attitude of praying in the early centuries of Christianity. The blue coat and white robe, traditionally attributed to the [[Immaculate Conception]], reinforces this analogy to a secular figure of [[Virgin Mary|Mary]] here. The strength of the image is the sharp contrast between the traditional allegory which induces an idealization of the model, and processing of the scene without any concession to the ideal." | |
| - | Therefore Delacroix did not reproduce reality, but his own fantasy, supported by observation. He referred to sketches he had made on site, but freely elaborated upon them. Moreover it obviously depicts white women; the one on the right in the finished painting, who bears a definite resemblance to the woman sketched on site, is known to be a Parisian model and long acquaintance of Delacroix's. White women as slaves in Islamic harems had long inspired European fantasies, right up to the middle of the 20th century with the especially successful [[Angelique (series)|Angelique novels]], in which the Arabian rulers are portrayed as dark and sinister. | + | |
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| - | The women are presented as objects of desire, more or less willing, at the mercy of the whims of their possessors, and awaiting to be allowed or forced to serve him. Considering the repressive sexual mores of the 19th and early 20th centuries this fantasy, which purports to give an authentic account of Islam, appears completely comprehensible; even today it is still often projected upon Oriental standards and, for instance, appears in historical films with or without documentary pretensions. | + | |
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| - | Of course a Harem is also associated with empire; an excess of women on one side must be obtained by a dearth thereof on the other. Empire is connected to power, and the | + | |
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| - | Selbstverständlich ist ein Harem auch mit Reichtum verbunden; ein Frauenüberschuss auf der einen Seite muss mit einem Frauenmangel auf der anderen Seite erkauft werden. Reichtum hängt mit Macht zusammen, und den Reichen und Mächtigen wird seit jeher zugestanden, beliebig viele Partnerinnen zu unterhalten und mit diesen beliebig viele Nachkommen zu zeugen, auch im Westen; siehe für unseren Kulturkreis [[Karl der Große#Ehen und Nachkommen|Karl der Große: Ehen und Nachkommen]] und [[Kebsehe]]. Durch diesen Sachverhalt bietet sich das Bild des Harems auch zu einer Projektionsfläche für Macht und Reichtum und damit für die drei größten Antriebskräfte zumindest den männlichen Menschheit an. | + | |
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| - | Delacroix hatte bereits 1827 vor seiner Reise nach Nordafrika seine Fantasie von Reichtum, Macht und Luxus inklusive sexuellen Genusses im überdimensionalen Gemälde [[Der Tod des Sardanapal]] ausformuliert; der Herrscher delektiert sich kurz vor seinem Ende, das er selbst mit Gift herbeiführen will, an der systematischen Abschlachtung der ihm liebsten Lebewesen, wozu Pferde und vor allem schöne Frauen gehören. Diese Fantasie fand allerdings bis heute keinen größeren Widerhall beim Publikum; dazu fehlt diesem Bild wohl das Versprechen des Genusses. | + | |
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The painting is a forerunner of Delacroix most famous painting Liberty Leading the People (1830). |
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Greece on the Ruins of Missolonghi (La Grèce sur les ruines de Missolonghi) is an 1826 oil painting by French painter Eugène Delacroix, and now preserved at the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux. This painting was inspired by the Third Siege of Missolonghi by the Ottoman forces in 1826, during which many people of the city after the long-time siege (almost a year) decided to attempt a mass breakout (sortie) to escape famine and epidemics. The attempt resulted in a disaster, with the larger part of the Greeks slain.
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Analysis
Greece is depicted as a kneeling woman who occupies the major part of the painting. She is wearing a traditional Greek costume, her chest being widely bare, and she spreads her arms as a sign of sadness. The hand of a dead victim can be seen protruding from the rubble, beneath her feet. In the background, a dark-complexioned man wearing a yellow turban, who symbolizes the enemy, is planting a flag in the ground.
The painting borrows elements from Christianity. Indeed, "Greece adopts the attitude of praying in the early centuries of Christianity. The blue coat and white robe, traditionally attributed to the Immaculate Conception, reinforces this analogy to a secular figure of Mary here. The strength of the image is the sharp contrast between the traditional allegory which induces an idealization of the model, and processing of the scene without any concession to the ideal."
Unless indicated otherwise, the text in this article is either based on Wikipedia article "Greece on the Ruins of Missolonghi" or another language Wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License; or on research by Jahsonic and friends. See Art and Popular Culture's copyright notice.
