Battle Scene with a Prisoner Being Bound, after Raphael
Medium
Graphite on tracing paper, laid down
Dimensions
Overall: 7 3/4 x 13 3/8 in. (19.7 x 34 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift from the Karen B. Cohen Collection of Eugène Delacroix, in honor of George R. Goldner, 2013
Accession Number
2013.1135.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
This graphite drawing by Eugène Delacroix, created around 1823, captures a dramatic battle scene in which a prisoner is bound amid dynamic male figures. Executed after a composition by the Renaissance master Raphael, the work reflects Delacroix’s early practice of studying classical sources. As a leading figure of French Romanticism, Delacroix often turned to Renaissance models to explore expressive poses and narrative tension, even as he developed his own vivid, emotionally charged style. The choice of medium—graphite on tracing paper laid down—highlights the artist’s methodical approach to ...
About the Artist
Eugène Delacroix|Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio or Santi) · 1798–1863
Eugène Delacroix (1798–1863) stands as the defining figure of French Romanticism and a pivotal bridge to modernism. Born in Charenton-Saint-Maurice near Paris, he came from distinguished lineage—his mother descended from the prestigious Oeben-Riesener furniture dynasty, while persistent speculation suggested the statesman Talleyrand may have been his biological father, a theory supported by physic...