03 — ARTWORK
The Sultan of Morocco and his Entourage
- MEDIUM
- Oil on canvas, 384 x 343 cm
- TYPE
- Historical
PALETTE
HOVER OR TAP A SWATCH FOR NAME, SHARE AND HEX. SAMPLED FROM THE IMAGE — INDICATIVE, NOT A PIGMENT ANALYSIS.
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COMMENTARY
UNDERLINED TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE GLOSSARY.
The number of major paintings that derive from Delacroix's Moroccan notes and sketchbooks is clear proof of the impact of the experience. They include the Jewish Wedding in Morocco, The Fanatics of Tangier and The Sultan of Morocco and his Entourage. In the composition of these works, Delacroix scrupulously observed the notes and sketches that he had made in situ. Thus the decor of the Jewish Wedding in Morocco exactly matches that recorded in a watercolourPigment ground in gum, usually gum arabic, and applied with brush and water to a painting surface, usually paper; the term also denotes a work of art executed in this medium. The pigment is ordinarily transparent but can be made opaque by mixing with a whiting and in this form is known as body colour, or gouache; it can also be mixed with casein, a phosphoprotein of milk. Watercolour compares in range and variety with any other painting method. Transparent watercolour allows for a freshness and luminosity in its washes and for a deft calligraphic brushwork that makes it a most alluring medium. There is one basic difference between transparent watercolour and all other heavy painting mediums - its transparency. The oil painter can paint one opaque colour over another until he has achieved his desired result. The whites are created with opaque white. The watercolourist's approach is the opposite. In essence, instead of building up he leaves out. The white paper creates the whites. The darkest accents may be placed on the paper with the pigment as it comes out of the tube or with very little water mixed with it. Otherwise the colours are diluted with water. The more water in the wash, the more the paper affects the colours; for example, vermilion, a warm red, will gradually turn into a cool pink as it is thinned with more water. The dry-brush technique - the use of the brush containing pigment but little water, dragged over the rough surface of the paper - creates various granular effects similar to those of crayon drawing. Whole compositions can be made in this way. This technique also may be used over dull washes to enliven them. in the notebook, while his notes give an exact description of the painting that was to come.
The Sultan of Morocco and his Entourage was intended to immortalise the Comte de Mornay's diplomatic mission, his successful meeting with the Sultan. In fact, Delacroix scorned the opportunity to commemorate an event doomed to oblivion. Instead, he concentrated on creating a spectacular open-air scene in bright light, with vivid colours and monumental protagonists. Exemplifying his orientalising vein, it also exhibits the full wealth of his technical mastery.
OTHER WORKS BY EUGÈNE DELACROIX
CITE THIS RECORD — BIBTEX
@online{wga-r97ca9afad29207,
author = {Krén, Emil and Marx, Daniel},
title = {The Sultan of Morocco and his Entourage by DELACROIX, Eugène},
organization = {{Web Gallery of Art}},
date = {2026-09-14},
url = {https://beta.wga.hu/artists/delacroix-eugne-r44dd9951dc0def/the-sultan-of-morocco-and-his-entourage-r97ca9afad29207},
urldate = {2026-09-14},
langid = {english}
}ACCESSED 2026-09-14. REPLACE THE AUTHOR FIELD WITH THE COMMENTARY AUTHOR WHERE ONE IS NAMED.