Woman with a Parrot

Eugène Delacroix painted Woman with a Parrot in 1827, a sensual study of a reclining nude that engaged with the long tradition of Venus reclining paintings while also reflecting the Romantic taste for exotic accessories and settings. The parrot, a luxury import from the tropics, adds an element of the exotic and serves as a chromatic accent in the warm-toned composition. The painting dates from a highly productive period for Delacroix, between the succès de scandale of The Massacre at Chios (1824) and his pivotal journey to North Africa (1832).

Delacroix builds the luminous flesh tones through warm, layered glazes that give the nude figure a glowing vitality. The vibrant plumage of the parrot provides a counterpoint of pure color that enlivens the composition, while the loose, expressive brushwork throughout the painting demonstrates Delacroix's commitment to painterly freedom over the smooth finish favored by the academic establishment.