A Romantic Duel, Delacroix’s Fascination for "The Giaour" by Lord Byron

Inspired by the work "A Romantic Duel", the current exhibition at the Musée Delacroix invites you to discover the artistic encounter between the famous painter Eugène Delacroix and the British writer Lord Byron.

Lord Byron's novels and poems inspired Delacroix throughout his career, and he found in them subjects he could relate to and shared interests. Among the latter, there is a great fascination for Greece and its history, which led Delacroix to represent on his paintings the poem "The Giaour, fragment of a Turkish account".

This poem narrates the conflict between the rich Hassan, called the Pasha, and the Giaour, a Venetian in love with one of the slaves of Hassan's harem. For more than twenty-five years, Eugène Delacroix will use this text to create numerous works representing the world of the British poet, or inspired by it. 

The paintings created around the battle of the Giaour and the Pasha will be confronted in this exhibition, highlighting Delacroix's creative process and his way of representing the different themes that are dear to him: the battle, the war, the history of Greece.

Online content, as well as lectures and concerts, will accompany the exhibition, for an even more evocative experience.

Until 23/08/2021, Wednesday to Monday, from 9:30 to 11:30 and from 13:00 to 17:30.

Photo ©wikicommon