Three Figures 

Eugène Delacroix sketched these three figures in pencil and watercolor, likely in the 1830s. These are studies of women from North Africa, probably made during or after Delacroix's trip to Morocco in 1832. France had begun its colonial expansion into North Africa, and this artwork reflects a broader European interest in the region. The loose sketch-like quality is important here. Delacroix isn't trying to give us a fully detailed, realistic representation of these women. Instead, he focuses on capturing their clothing and overall appearance. The sketch invites the viewer to imagine them and, perhaps, exoticize them. He is not necessarily presenting a critical vision of colonialism, but his fascination with the visual culture of North Africa helped to expand the repertory of images available to European viewers. To understand this work fully, we need to look at travel writing, political documents, and other images from the period to understand how North Africa was perceived in Europe.