Death of Sardanapalus Flashcards
Subject?
The ancient Greek narrative of the Assyrian King Sardanapalus who decided that he
would kill himself, and destroy all his most precious possessions, rather than
surrender to his enemies
Sardanapalus?
Reclining on his bed, watches his treasures brought to him. He encapsulates all
that is morally bankrupt and corrupt about human power.
The setting?
The visible space around the bed is entirely filled with a mixture of semi-naked
women, rearing horses, rich fabrics, jewels and other precious objects.
The women?
Adds to the sense of sexual violence – for example at the front of the composition a
ferocious looking man plunges a knife into a naked woman’s throat.
The animals and slaves?
Curved, sinuous forms can be seen in the bodies of the women and slaves, the arch
of the horses neck, and piles of discarded jewels and fabric.
Sense of space?
There is no horizon line or vanishing point creating an ambiguous sense of
foreground and background. The foreshortened bed, overlapping figures and lack of
straight lines add to the overwhelming sense of chaos.
Romanticism?
Seen in the painterly style where freedom of colour takes precedence, loose
handling of paint, exaggerated poses and emphasis on extreme human
emotion.
Source of narrative?
Originally drawn from Ancient Greek texts however Delacroix’s interpretation is
based on a play by Lord Byron. Romantic artists broke from the classical subject
matter of their Neoclassical predecessors.
Antiheroic?
Avoids Neoclassical triumphant narraitives (as seen in David’s Oath of the Horatti).
There is no attempt to impart a moral or political message through the image.
Delacroix intends to create a heightened emotional response as a reason in itself
Orientalist subject?
Delacroix plays on popular tropes regarding the decadence and danger of the
‘exotic’ in direct contrast to the orderly world of the Europeans.
Women?
Plays on Western male fantasies of the ‘harem’. Non Western women were
considered to be more sexually available to the male viewer as they weren’t
governed by the same moral codes as Western women. The allusion to an ‘exotic’ or
‘imagined’ scene from ancient mythology disguises the sexual nature of the piece.
Rejection of neoclassical values?
Rejects the didacticism (morality) of Neoclassical history painting in favour of
imaginary and exotic subjects – seen in Delacroix’s decision to focus on the
antiheroic figure of Sardanpalus.
Emerging interest in the exotic?
Thanks to the period of rising imperialism and tourism when Western artists
travelled widely to the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia. Delacroix’s swirling
composition reflected the Romantic artists’ fascination with the “Orient,”
Delacroix and the ‘Orient’?
Reflects Delacroix’s fascination with the exotic, although he did not visit Algeria until
1832. Therefore, the scene is constructed from his interpretation of Byron’s play,
reinforcing the sexualized and violent stereotype of the Orient.
Delacroix?
Leading figure of the French Romantic school. Delacroix eschewed academic
conventions in his choice of subjects, favouring scenes from contemporary history
rendered on a large scale in a dramatic fashion. His work embodies Romanticism’s
obsession with the exotic Other.
