"Algerian women" in the works of Delacroix and Picasso

In July 1830, France conquered, colonized Algeria. This exotic African country immediately aroused the interest of both artists and residents. In 1832, Eugene Delacroix went there, and his attention was drawn to the most secret thing that one can imagine: the harem. Delacroix in two years will put up in the Salon his new picture "Algerian women in their chambers."

Harem Delacroix

On the canvas, first of all, you can see a cozy, quiet, serene, relaxed and even drowsy atmosphere with an unclear sadness. It depicts four Algerian women. Three of them are dwellers, and maybe even captives of a harem, who are bored in their imprisonment. Besides them, there is a black maid who is about to go somewhere, since she is not deprived of freedom of movement. Algerian women are divided into three parts. One of them is sitting motionless on the left, then two central figures languidly bent to each other, and the last, more dynamic, is the servant.

Special charm

A mysterious figure of a woman who sits apart from the other two. She is bored, melancholy dreaming. Her almond-shaped eyes, immersed in the shadows, look into space. This can be disagreed, but it is clearly mentally absent. In this room, only her beautiful physical body, which rests on a sofa cushion, boldly written out with new colorful techniques.

Two friends

In the serene silence of the harem, two Algerian women were smoking a hookah, but they were bored with it. The hand of one of them fell limply, and only a little holds his pipe, his eyes almost closed, the head bends to the shoulder. The other, seated, crossing her bare feet, with tired tenderness, looks at her dozing friend, full of sweet languor.

The attention of the three women is not concentrated on anything. Delacroix seeks to convey, including his feelings of agonizing, time-consuming, fragrant, color.

Color and light

The golden-maroon tones of this ideal color, which emphasize the richness of silk fabrics, the variegation of carpets and gold, work to create a space of magic and bliss that will delight the viewer. The main tones are complemented by green and red. The shimmering of shades is a new thing that the artist began in this work, experimenting with color. The hot sun rays falling from the window on the right, blind, illuminating the three fixed figures, and create deep shadows inside the room, deepening the perspective. Algerian women Delacroix is a premonition of the appearance of impressionism and inspiration for A. Matisse, O. Renoir, M. Vrubel and P. Picasso.

One hundred and twenty years later

When the friend-rival of Picasso Henri Matisse died, six weeks after his death the great Spaniard began to work on a cycle of picture-variations. These were the elegy in honor of a friend. When they were completed, they turned fifteen. These were the odalas that Matisse loved so much. After all, Henri Matisse is regarded as a follower of Delacroix in terms of color, and in terms of the choice of subjects. But mainly it was the Oriental images of Delacroix that inspired the artist to take the theme - Algerian women. Picasso created variations from "A" to "O".

Picasso's second wife, Jacqueline Rock, looked like one of the women in Delacroix's painting, especially in profile. But it perfectly coincides with their images and in full face. She liked to portray Picasso in the form of a harelle.

In December 1954, the artist began a great work on Algerian women. Continuously thinking about them in 1955, the master buys a villa in Cannes. In this cozy white mansion continues and in February 1955 the work on a series of variations ends.

It was at this time, as one of the British art critics notes, Picasso rises to those creative peaks that marked his previous years.

"Algerian Women" by Picasso. Version "O"

This is the final and most complete work from the whole cycle. It is fresh in a new way in the approach to the perspective and the plot. In this majestic work, Pablo Picasso looked back at the master of the 19th century, who was fascinated by his whole life, and created a new style of painting. This painting "Algerian Women" is a brilliant synthesis of what the artist has worked on all past years.

The compact composition, the game of cubism and perspective were an important continuation of the work of the mature master, his masterpiece, which can be compared with "Avignon girls" (1907) and "Guernica" (1937), for example. But this one of the most important paintings has always remained in private hands. And to this day it is in a private meeting of the former Prime Minister of Qatar, replacing the original owner. It was purchased at Christie's auction in New York for nearly $ 180 million in 2015.

Conclusion

One detail is curious. When it comes to the work of Pablo Picasso, then all the articles in French, English, Spanish and Russian are not talking about the artistic significance of his paintings, but about purely material value expressed in dollars. With scrupulous accuracy, the number of auctions conducted and the gradual change, or rather the increase in prices, are indicated. It seems that his works are needed only for investing money by wealthy people. This, of course, can not be said about the work of Eugene Delacroix. They are close and understandable, their compositions and themes are perfect, and they do not require confirmation that they are not expensive.