A Jewish Woman of Algiers

A Jewish Woman of Algiers, created by Eugène Delacroix in 1833, is a sophisticated example of 19th-century French printmaking, utilizing the demanding technique of etching combined with chine collé. This graphic work was produced shortly after Delacroix’s seminal 1832 voyage to North Africa, a journey that revolutionized the visual vocabulary of the Romantic movement and indelibly shaped the European fascination with Orientalism. The direct observation of subjects and environments in Algeria provided the artist with rich material for both major canvases and these smaller-scale, intimate graphic studies.

Delacroix’s extensive documentation of North Africa included numerous studies of its inhabitants. His focus on the women of the region provided a counterpoint to established European figure studies, often emphasizing intricate costume, jewelry, and a sense of reserved dignity. The creation of this work as a Print, rather than a painting, allowed Delacroix to explore the subtleties of line and tone, maximizing the textural difference between the etched lines and the applied paper of the chine collé backing.

The Print captures a singular figure, embodying the idealized yet complex view of the non-European world common to French art of this era. Delacroix’s work transformed the public perception of the region, ensuring that his impressions from Algeria would influence generations of artists. Recognized today as a key document of 19th-century French graphic arts, this exemplary impression of A Jewish Woman of Algiers is classified within the permanent collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.