Four Studies of Figures Wearing Turbans

Four Studies of Figures Wearing Turbans by Eugène Delacroix, executed in 1832, is a fundamental example of the artist's preparatory methods during his pivotal journey to North Africa. Classified as a drawing and created primarily in graphite, the work captures various detailed sketches documenting the distinctive headwear and character of individuals encountered by the artist in Morocco. These studies showcase Delacroix’s intense focus on the intricate structure of the turbans and the rapid recording of facial features, essential for preserving visual memory outside of a formal studio environment.

The date of 1832 places this work immediately following the pivotal diplomatic mission Delacroix accompanied to Morocco and Algeria. The artist returned from his travels with numerous albums of studies and watercolors, forming the core reference material for his subsequent Romantic-era Orientalist paintings. These rapid graphite drawings served as crucial source documents, informing later large-scale compositions such as Women of Algiers in their Apartment. The sketches illustrate the transition from direct, observed reality to the finished compositional works for which Delacroix is famous.

As an exemplary preparatory drawing, the sheet highlights Delacroix's mastery of expressive draftsmanship. The enduring appeal and cultural significance of the artist's visual recordings ensure that high-quality prints derived from this and similar works are widely utilized, particularly now that many of Delacroix's studies reside securely in the public domain. This historically important work is part of the extensive collection of European drawings and prints housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.