Studies of Four Greek Coins 1825

Eugène Delacroix made this study of four Greek coins in 1825 with graphite on paper. Delacroix was working in France at a time when many artists looked to ancient Greece for inspiration. In this drawing, Delacroix copies and arranges ancient coins into a new composition. What was it about ancient Greece that captured the imagination of 19th century artists? The Greek revolution of 1821, in which Greek nationalists fought for independence from the Ottoman Empire, drew considerable support from European intellectuals and artists such as Delacroix. This war of independence was widely romanticized as a struggle to recapture the glory of ancient Greece. To understand Delacroix's drawing more fully, we might consult historical sources relating to philhellenism, the intellectual and artistic movement that supported Greek independence. By considering this work of art in its social and historical context, we can better understand its appeal to Delacroix and his contemporaries.