1824
oil
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
The Shipwreck of Don Juan: A Sketch is a 1824 oil by Eugene Delacroix, a French Romanticism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting shows a stormy sea with a wrecked ship. Waves crash over the hull as desperate sailors cling to debris. In the background, dark clouds swirl under a sliver of moonlight. The scene comes from Lord Byron’s poem *Don Juan*. Delacroix painted it as a sketch, not a finished work. The loose brushstrokes make the chaos feel real. Look up Delacroix, Eugene next.
The painting depicts a crowded rowing boat in the foreground, where figures are gathered closely together, with one man holding a hat in which another has placed his hand. In the background, the sea and a sunset sky are visible. The scene illustrates a moment from Lord Byron's *Don Juan*, in which survivors of a shipwreck draw lots to determine who will be sacrificed to feed the others. The work reflects Delacroix's early career and aligns with the Romantic movement's fascination with human suffering, nature, and dramatic narrative.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix was a French Romantic artist who was regarded as the leader of the French Romantic school.
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