Hamlet and Horatio in the cemetery 1839

Curator: Here we have Eugène Delacroix’s “Hamlet and Horatio in the Cemetery,” an oil painting dating back to 1839. What's your initial response to it? Editor: It strikes me immediately as dramatic, and deliberately so. The sky is tumultuous, and the figures almost seem staged against that backdrop, lit to showcase Hamlet’s pensive mood. I am wondering what kind of pigments did Delacroix choose for his palette? Curator: Well, let's think about the scene itself. This is Hamlet confronting mortality, a moment steeped in existential contemplation. The skull isn't just a prop; it is a potent symbol, laden with meanings of decay, loss, and the transient nature of existence, amplified by Delacroix's Romantic sensibilities. It speaks volumes about the human condition and collective memory. Editor: And what’s interesting, thinking of pigments, is how those emotional and philosophical weights are literally built, layer by layer, using earth pigments, minerals. Considering Delacroix was working in a period increasingly concerned with the industrial production, there is a stark contrast between materials extracted by labor and the “genius” he put in it. How did this making process impact the final image? Curator: I agree, that is where Delacroix's technique serves his vision, not just raw emotions. He harnesses those raw materials to conjure specific feelings. Hamlet is always pondering what's beyond life; Delacroix seems interested in illustrating that moment of profound and deep connection between man and life. Editor: But look how roughly he builds up the earth underfoot. We feel the grit and density through his handling of paint. It almost anchors the sublime emotions in a very real, tangible place, with the manual labour embedded into each layer. The context where paintings such as “Hamlet and Horatio in the Cemetery” existed highlights those elements in Delacroix's creation. Curator: I can see how materiality can illuminate different nuances in the painting now, how it intertwines physical and intellectual labor within these oil paints, giving additional meaning to symbols and drama! Editor: Exactly, there's a dialectic between the intellectual subject and the means of making it, right there on the canvas. Curator: It truly underscores the layers of interpretation embedded within. Editor: Yes, every little bit of the painting provides us another hint on this interesting discussion, how Hamlet ponders with what humans do and how that reflects in themselves.