Jewess of Algiers and a Street in Algiers

Jewess of Algiers and a Street in Algiers is a significant lithograph created by Eugène Delacroix in 1838. This print exemplifies the profound influence of the artist's transformative 1832 journey to North Africa, which provided the inspiration for many of his most celebrated Orientalist subjects. Produced several years after his return from Morocco and Algeria, the work translates the immediacy of Delacroix's travel observations into a refined graphic medium.

The scene centers on the solitary, richly costumed figure of the Jewess, standing against the deeply shaded backdrop of an Algerian thoroughfare. Delacroix masterfully employed the complex technique of lithography to convey dramatic tonal contrasts and textural detail, demonstrating his artistic versatility beyond oil painting. The artist was deeply interested in documenting the traditional costumes of different communities in North Africa, and the figure in this piece is rendered with meticulous attention to her distinct cultural attire, contrasting sharply with the austere architecture of the street.

As one of the most prominent Romantic artists working in France, Delacroix continually revisited his Algerian sketches for material, establishing visual records that fueled the Romantic fascination with the perceived exoticism of the region. Works such as this print provided European audiences with sought-after images of colonial spaces, contributing greatly to the Orientalist movement in 19th-century art. Due to the nature of the medium, multiple impressions of this image circulated widely, popularizing Delacroix’s interpretation of North African culture. This important example of Delacroix’s graphic output is preserved within the distinguished collection of prints at the Cleveland Museum of Art.