Convulsionists of Tangiers

This swirling scene captures a religious festival that Eugène Delacroix witnessed firsthand during his trip to Morocco in 1832. The figures here are members of the Aissaoua, a Sufi brotherhood whose followers would enter a trance-like state during their processions, working themselves into wild fits of ecstasy. Delacroix was clearly struck by the raw energy of the moment, and you can feel it in the painting. Bodies twist and lurch through the streets of Tangier, arms thrown up, while a green banner waves above the crowd and a man on horseback tries to keep order.

Delacroix was a leading figure of the Romantic movement, a style that prized emotion, drama, and movement over the cool precision favored by earlier painters. His trip to North Africa left a deep mark on his work, giving him a treasure trove of exotic subjects and brilliant colors that he returned to for the rest of his career. Here he keeps the palette fairly earthy, letting that splash of green flag and a few bright reds pull your eye through the chaos. Rather than tidy the scene up, he leans into the confusion, which is exactly the point. The painting wants you to feel the heat, the noise, and the frenzy of a crowd caught up in something bigger than themselves.