The artwork “Two Women at the Well,” created by Eugene Delacroix in 1832, exemplifies the Romanticism movement in art. As a portrait, it captures the essence of its subjects with an emphasis on the dramatic and emotional, qualities that often characterize the Romantic era. The genre of the piece may be more accurately described as a figure study rather than a formal portrait.
The artwork portrays two women engaged in the daily task of drawing water from a well. The composition is dominated by the arching lines of an architectural structure that serves as a backdrop for the figures and enhances their silhouetted forms. On the left, one woman is depicted with a hand raised to her forehead, possibly shielding her eyes from the sun or peering into the distance, as she carries a filled water jug upon her shoulder. The other woman, to the right, is engaged in the act of hoisting a water vessel atop her head, demonstrating a moment of physical exertion neatly captured by the artist’s swift and confident brushwork. The unfinished nature of the sketch, with loosely defined contours and minimal color—shades of brown and washes conveying only the most necessary details—allows viewers to focus on the movement and interaction between the figures. Delacroix’s signature can be seen at the bottom right, adding a sense of completion to the otherwise spontaneous and fluent draftsmanship.