. Eugène Delacroix. and freshness. A vast skybarred with gold and a wide far-stretchingplain, steeped in light and air, swept by gustsof fire and smoke, and alive with burning villagesand ravaging troops, form the background tothe central group. On a little rearing Arab,covered with crimson trappings and maddenedby thefumes of battle, sits a Turk dressed ina gold striped costume at once sombre andglowing, while to the conquerors saddle ishanging the fair, soft body of a naked whole of this portion of the picture is rich • Alexandre Dumas relates in his Memoirs that one dayas he was
. Eugène Delacroix. and freshness. A vast skybarred with gold and a wide far-stretchingplain, steeped in light and air, swept by gustsof fire and smoke, and alive with burning villagesand ravaging troops, form the background tothe central group. On a little rearing Arab,covered with crimson trappings and maddenedby thefumes of battle, sits a Turk dressed ina gold striped costume at once sombre andglowing, while to the conquerors saddle ishanging the fair, soft body of a naked whole of this portion of the picture is rich • Alexandre Dumas relates in his Memoirs that one dayas he was looking at the Massacre de Scio he met Delacroix. I did not know, he remarked to the painter, that therehad been a plague at Scio. Hush ! exclaimed Delacroixtaking him by the arm, you have hit the right nail on thehead. AH the others are beside the mark. It was in front ofthe Pestifires de Jafa that the first idea of my Massacre cameto me. Jai mal lave la f alette de Gros. Only you must notsay so! . ^^ ^ _ .. , 40. LE MASSACKE DE SCIO To/ac-p. 40 EUGEUiE DELACKpIX and warm in colouring, and is contrasted withthe livid tones of the heap of dead and woundedon the left, with an understanding so superb,and a handling so admirable, that a far deeperimpression is produced than by the analogouspicture of Les Pestiferes. But if Delacroixpossesses in the highest degree the gift ofharmonious colour, his imaginative creationof human expression and gesture has neverbeen surpassed, never, perhaps, been equalledhy the greatest of the old masters. The truegreatness of the picture lies in its poignanttragedy. Among the ghastly pile of the deadand dying, men and women, old and young,children and babes, we are first struck by theindescribably impressive figure in the centre,of a man in the prime of life, who lies dying,in weakness not in pain, calmly, languidly,a srhile on his lips, with glazing, absent eyesthat no longer behold the horrors surroundinghim. The old woman sitting beside themurd
Size: 1507px × 1657px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookpublisherlondo, bookyear1912
