An artwork on Galleree from Minneapolis Institute of Art.
About the artwork
Convulsionists of Tangier1837-1838
Artist: Eugène Delacroix
French, 1798–1863
37 5/8 x 50 5/8 in. (95.57 x 128.59 cm) (canvas)
50 1/8 x 64 3/4 x 4 1/2 in. (127.32 x 164.47 x 11.43 cm) (outer frame)
Oil on canvas
Painting
France
19th century
Bequest of J. Jerome Hill
In the heart of the early 1830s, a brilliant artist named Eugène Delacroix stood on the precipice of inspiration, embodying the spirit of the French Romantic school. With passion in his veins, he set out on an extraordinary journey to North Africa alongside the French ambassador, Count de Mornay. Their mission was to forge a treaty of friendship with the sultan of Morocco, but what awaited them in Tangier would become a transformative experience for Delacroix.
On a day bathed in the warm Moroccan sun, a sense of adventure filled the air as they found refuge in the quiet confines of an attic. The world outside thrummed with life and energy. Through the cracks of a shuttered window, the scene below unfolded like a vivid spectacle, beckoning with the sounds and colors of a tumultuous moment. They bore witness to the fervent Aïssaouas, a devout Muslim sect, as they erupted into a fervor, their passions igniting the streets with a contagious intensity.
In that moment, Delacroix felt a deep calling, an artistic urgency that compelled him to capture the frenetic energy around him. The chaos outside poured into his heart, and soon enough, it found its way to his canvas. He unleashed a tempest of color and vigorous brushstrokes, portraying the Aïssaouas hurling themselves through the streets as if swept by a force far beyond comprehension. The painting thrummed with life, becoming one of his most arresting masterpieces, a testament to the raw beauty of human emotion captured in paint.
As time flowed on, this remarkable work changed hands, finding its place in the esteemed collection of James J. Hill, the shrewd railroad magnate of Minnesota. Known for his discerning eye, Hill cherished European masterpieces, and this painting, born from Delacroix's vivid encounters in Morocco, became a cornerstone of the Institute's nineteenth-century holdings. The story of this artwork, from Delacroix’s brush to Hill's collection, is a journey of inspiration, a reminder of the echoes of passion that resonate deeply through time and space.
About the artist
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