Fantasia arabe, 1833

About the Work

In the first half of 1832, Delacroix travelled to Morocco and Algeria. He recorded his impressions in numerous drawings and watercolours during these travels. After his return, they found their way into his paintings. The “Fantasia arabe” depicted here is a game of horsemanship: in a kind of mock battle, a group of riders dashes forward, trying to be as united as possible, and fires a rifle volley shortly before making the horses turn. Delacroix captured this moment between the group’s rapid gallop and sudden turnround in his typical loose and animated painting style. This makes them stand out from both the observer in the foreground and the landscape.