This artwork is a watercolor study titled “Massacre of Chios” created circa 1820 by the artist Eugene Delacroix. It embodies the art movement known as Orientalism and encompasses the genres of history painting as well as sketch and study. Measuring approximately 33 x 30 cm, the piece is housed within the Louvre in Paris, France. The artwork serves as a preparatory piece for a larger and more detailed painting, capturing a historical moment through the lens of the artist.
The artwork depicts a scene of profound despair and devastation, as it represents the aftermath of the Chios massacre during the Greek War of Independence. The composition is rich with emotional resonance, characterized by the somber and chaotic portrayal of displaced and suffering figures. Delacroix’s use of watercolors grants a fluidity to the scene, imbuing it with a sense of immediacy and rawness that often accompanies preliminary studies.
Foregrounded in the artwork are various figures in states of distress and helplessness, indicating the human toll of the conflict. The color palette is decidedly muted, reflective of the grim subject matter, with touches of red possibly underscoring the spilled blood and violence of the actual event. The artwork’s composition effectively conveys the horrors of war, making it a poignant representation of human tragedy crafted during the Orientalist period. Delacroix’s skillful rendering in this study sets a foundation from which he would later create a more detailed and fully realized historical painting.