A Moroccan Couple on Their Terrace

Eugène Delacroix

1832 · Watercolor over traces of graphite · Drawings and Prints

This is one of eighteen watercolors Delacroix presented to his travel companion, the diplomat Charles de Mornay, following their return from North Africa. The artist executed a number of the works while the men were quarantined for two weeks in Toulon. Inspired by the quality of Mediterranean light observed during the journey, he adopted a brighter palette than he had used previously. His fascination with Moroccan costume is apparent here in the attention he lavished on the multilayered attire of the woman, especially compared to his more abstract approach to other decorative aspects of the scene.

Artist

Eugène Delacroix

Date

1832

Medium

Watercolor over traces of graphite

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

The Mr. and Mrs. Henry Ittleson Jr. Purchase Fund, 1963