Hamlet and His Mother
1849
Delacroix brings Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy to life with raw, nervous energy in this dramatic scene. A frantic Hamlet, dressed in somber black, lunges toward a heavy curtain with his sword drawn, poised to strike the eavesdropper hiding behind it. His mother, Gertrude, wearing a crown and a sweeping red cape, clutches his arm in a desperate attempt to restrain him. Delacroix was absolutely obsessed with Hamlet—he created an entire series of lithographs and paintings based on the play—capturing the psychological torment and high drama that defined the Romantic movement.
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