Greek Women Imploring at the Virgin of Assistance (1826)

Ary Scheffer: Greek Women Imploring at the Virgin of Assistance

This painting was submitted to the Salon of 1827-1828 and is one of the major works dating from the artist's Romantic period. The motif is taken from the contemporaneous incident of the Greeks fighting their independence from the Turks. In a cave, there is a maiden crying in prayer with her hands clasped at her chest. Several Greek girls beseech with both hands raised in front of an altar where an Icon of the Virgin Mary is placed. Beyond the entrance to the cave are signs of belching powder smoke and fierce battle. Contrary to the tragic theme, Scheffer employs a gorgeous palette of Delacroix-style warm colors to finish the entire image up as beautifully as a gem box. [National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo]