Portrait of Count Charles de Mornay

Portrait of Count de Mornay from 1837 at the Yale Art Gallery depicts the diplomat who took Delacroix to Morocco in 1832. The North African journey was transformative for the artist, and Mornay's patronage helped make it possible. Delacroix executed the work with his characteristic broken, energetic brushwork and rich colorism, building up his surfaces in ways that directly influenced the Impressionists who studied his technique at the Louvre after his death.

The portrait presents the diplomat with Delacroix's characteristic rich palette and vigorous handling. The refined composition conveys aristocratic authority with Romantic vitality.