Count Demetrius de Palatiano in Suliot Costume
1832
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1832
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
This painting shows a man wearing a traditional Greek costume. He's dressed in a fancy uniform with a lot of detail. The man in the painting, Count Demetrius de Palatiano, was a real person who liked to pose for artists in Paris, and his exotic costume was a popular subject. The Greek war of independence was a big deal in Europe at the time, and people were fascinated by the soldiers' uniforms. This interest in Greek culture inspired many artists to paint scenes like this one. The fact that Count Palatiano was a flamboyant aristocrat who posed for artists adds to the painting's interesting history. You can learn more about the style of this painting by looking at the work of artist: Eugène Delacroix (French, 1798–1863).
