The Abduction of Rebecca

"The Abduction of Rebecca" by Eugène Delacroix, executed in 1846, is a powerful oil on canvas painting that exemplifies the dramatic intensity and vibrant color palette characteristic of French Romanticism. This work, measuring 39 1/2 x 32 1/4 inches, draws its subject matter not from classical history but from 19th-century literature: specifically, the chaotic siege sequence described in Sir Walter Scott's immensely popular 1819 novel, Ivanhoe. The piece depicts the frantic moment the Jewish healer Rebecca is forcibly removed from the beleaguered castle of Front-de-Boeuf.

Delacroix masterfully employs rapid, expressive brushwork and rich, saturated hues to convey the violence and visceral energy of the scene. The crowded composition is dominated by a struggle for control, integrating the dramatic elements of the ongoing Battle. We see Men engaged in conflict, along with the powerful forms of the Horses ridden by the Templars and Saracen slaves. Amidst the confusion, the figure of the captive Woman, Rebecca, is positioned centrally, her distress amplifying the narrative tension. This preference for non-classical, emotionally charged narratives and exotic historical settings defined Delacroix's groundbreaking artistic approach.

The painting resides in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it serves as a key example of Romantic European painting. The dynamic quality of the composition ensures that prints and scholarly reproductions of The Abduction of Rebecca remain highly sought after, demonstrating the continued appreciation for Delacroix's mastery of historical melodrama.