Odalisque reclining on a divan

Odalisque Reclining on a Divan from 1825 at the Fitzwilliam Museum shows early Delacroix exploring Orientalist subjects. His odalisque paintings, inspired by literary and visual sources rather than direct observation, established a genre that dominated French painting. As the leading French Romantic painter, Delacroix brought passionate color and dynamic energy to all his subjects; his journal records his constant study of color relationships and his admiration for Rubens, Constable, and Verones

The reclining figure is rendered with warm flesh tones and rich fabrics. Delacroix's handling of the exotic setting creates an atmosphere of sensuous languor.