Women of Algiers

"Women of Algiers," created by Eugène Delacroix in 1833, is a key lithograph that documents the artist’s profound response to his 1832 voyage to North Africa. Classified specifically as a print, this work is the second state of two, signifying technical adjustments and refinements made during the printing process to achieve the desired tonality and detail. This lithograph serves as an important counterpart to the more famous oil painting of the same subject, allowing Delacroix to explore the atmospheric qualities and rich textures of the Algerian interior through the nuanced medium of stone printing.

The work adheres to the burgeoning Orientalist tradition, focusing intimately on the private world of women within a domestic setting. Delacroix successfully uses the graphic medium to convey the specific garments, decorative elements, and lighting inherent to the North African locale, distinguishing this piece from purely imagined historical scenes. The careful rendering of the subjects underscores Delacroix’s artistic aim to capture the perceived exoticism and sensual allure of the scene, shaping European ideas about the East for decades to follow.

This influential example of 19th-century prints is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The strong visual narrative established in Delacroix’s Women of Algiers remains a crucial reference point in the history of Romantic art. Because the work is historically significant and widely documented, many high-quality prints and references of the image are available today through the public domain, ensuring the enduring study of Delacroix's mastery of both painting and the graphic arts.