Positions of Power on the Question of the Orient
1839
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1839
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
This sketch shows two men dressed in exaggerated Middle Eastern-style clothes, fighting with guns and swords. One man is lunging forward with a pistol, while the other grabs him from behind, his face twisted in anger. In the background, tiny figures watch from a distance, and a small boat floats on water. The title at the bottom hints this is a joke about European powers arguing over control of lands in the Middle East. The artist used bold lines and dramatic poses to make it look like a chaotic scene. Check out Romanticism to see how artists used emotion and drama in their work.
