Odalisque

Odalisque from 1837 at the Louvre shows Delacroix painting the reclining harem woman that became a staple of French Orientalist art. His odalisques combine sensuality with the chromatic richness of his North African palette. Delacroix's method combined rapid, gestural underpainting with careful final glazing, creating surfaces of extraordinary richness and warmth; his studio practice was meticulous despite the apparent spontaneity of the results.

The reclining figure is rendered with warm flesh tones and rich surrounding fabrics. Delacroix's handling creates an atmosphere of Orientalist sensuous refinement.