Shop art print and framed art Scène des massacres de Scio : familles grecques attendant la mort ou l'esclavage by Eugène Delacroix

Scenes from the Massacres of Scio (full title Scenes from the Massacres of Scio: Greek Families Awaiting Death or Slavery) is a painting by Eugène Delacroix in 1824 that is representative of the Romantic movement. The painting depicts the massacres perpetrated in Chios in April 1822 by the Ottomans during the Greek War of Independence. In this painting, the main disturbing element is the inversion of the roles of victor and vanquished. During the Age of Enlightenment, the Greeks enjoyed the aura of their recently rediscovered ancient democratic knowledge: they were thus commonly regarded as civilised, close to Europeans. Here, however, they are pitied: there are no Greek heroes valiantly defending themselves against the Ottoman troops, just a few rare inhabitants trying to defend themselves and face up to the enemy. Similarly, the Ottoman horseman on the right of the painting overlooks the whole scene and adopts a heroic stance. But it is possible to understand that Delacroix was not seeking to celebrate the resistance and heroism of a few resistance fighters, but rather the bravery of this entire victimised people. Having completed his painting, some art historians believe that Delacroix retouched the background of his canvas after seeing three paintings by the English painter John Constable exhibited at an art dealer's in Paris: The Hay Cart, Canal in England and View of Hampstead. During the restoration of the painting, which ran from October 2019 to January 2020, it was [...]

 

This artwork is a painting from the classical period. It belongs to the orientalism style.

 

« Scène des massacres de Scio : familles grecques attendant la mort ou l'esclavage » is kept at Musée du Louvre, Paris, France.

 

Find the full description of Scène des massacres de Scio : familles grecques attendant la mort ou l'esclavage by Eugène Delacroix on Wikipedia.