The Smuggler's Flight 1826

Eugène Delacroix made this lithograph, The Smuggler’s Flight, using ink on paper. It represents the Romantic obsession with the figure of the outlaw, who exists outside the structures of law and order. The image creates meaning through the cultural references of Romanticism. Delacroix was working in France during a time of revolution and social change, and he often made art that engaged with the political and social issues of his day. Here, the figure of the smuggler might represent an ambivalent attitude toward state power. Is the smuggler a common criminal evading justice, or a freedom fighter resisting a tyrannical regime? To better understand Delacroix's work, we might consult historical sources such as letters, diaries, and political pamphlets. By placing the artwork in its social and institutional context, we can better understand its meaning and significance. Art is always contingent on the circumstances of its making.