Marphise 1852

Eugène Delacroix painted ‘Marphise’ in France sometime between 1852 and 1860. The image depicts a scene from Ariosto’s epic poem ‘Orlando Furioso’, a key text for understanding the culture of nineteenth-century Europe. Delacroix belonged to the Romantic movement, which turned to literature, history and imagination for their subject matter, and he worked in an academic system that emphasized history painting. But the Romantics were more interested in the drama and emotion of these subjects than in historical accuracy. It is no coincidence that Delacroix, one of the first truly ‘modern’ painters, spent his career negotiating the expectations of the academy and his own, progressive artistic vision. Art historians consult many sources – contemporary reviews, letters, and so on – to get a better understanding of the artist’s intentions. But the meanings of art are never fixed; they continue to evolve as society changes.