Portrait of Mme. Cavé (Study for "Cleopatra") c. 1838

Curator: This is Eugène Delacroix's "Portrait of Mme. Cavé (Study for 'Cleopatra')," a study rendered in delicate pencil strokes, now residing here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: She seems consumed by something, doesn't she? Melancholy or perhaps just deep thought. The sketch itself is so light, almost ethereal. Curator: Indeed. Delacroix, born in 1798, frequently used studies like this to explore the emotional register of his subjects and consider classical themes. We see him using Madame Cavé as a model to ultimately capture the power of Cleopatra. Editor: So it’s a process of building an icon, layering on history and representation. Still, you see hints of the sitter's actual self. I wonder what Madame Cavé felt about being transmuted into Cleopatra. Curator: It's a fascinating question. Delacroix's era was caught between realism and romanticism, and these studies reveal the artist's process of navigating those tensions. Editor: For me, it's in the faintness that its power lies. It’s more about what's suggested than stated.