Muley Abd-ar-Rhaman, The Sultan of Morocco, leaving his Palace of Meknes with his entourage 1845

Eugène Delacroix painted Muley Abd-ar-Rhaman, The Sultan of Morocco, leaving his Palace of Meknes with his entourage, using oil on a large canvas. The composition centers on the Sultan, elevated on horseback, set against the backdrop of monumental architecture and a throng of figures. Delacroix masterfully manipulates light and color. The Sultan's radiant white clothing draws the eye. A structured rhythm is created by the repetition of figures and architectural forms. Delacroix's Orientalist fascination, framed within a Western gaze, uses the visual language of Romanticism to construct a representation of power and exoticism. It's a semiotic interplay where Western notions of the 'Orient' are reinforced through pictorial elements. Consider how this painting engages with the discourse of power. Delacroix’s formal decisions – the placement of figures, the play of light, the architectural scale – not only construct a visual narrative but also participate in a broader dialogue about cultural representation and power dynamics.