Greece on the Ruins of Missolonghi

Delacroix's Greece on the Ruins of Missolonghi of 1826 was painted as a direct response to the fall of the Greek city after a long Ottoman siege, when its defenders destroyed themselves rather than surrender. The allegorical figure of Greece — a woman in traditional costume seated on the ruins, her arm extended in appeal — embodied both mourning and defiance. Byron had died at Missolonghi in 1824, and the painting participated in the Philhellenic campaign that drew French liberals into the Greek cause. It was exhibited as a fundraising image to support Greek independence.

The allegorical figure's outstretched arms and white garments create a stark, iconic composition against the dark ruins. Delacroix uses a restrained palette of whites, blues, and earth tones to convey grief and defiance simultaneously.