Ovid among the Scythians

Eugène Delacroix painted Ovid among the Scythians with oil on canvas. Delacroix's painting depicts the Roman poet Ovid in exile among the Scythians, a nomadic people inhabiting the region north of the Black Sea. In it we see a juxtaposition of civilizations: Ovid, the epitome of Roman refinement, is shown surrounded by what the artist presents as a wild and ‘uncivilized’ culture. France in the 1800s saw a fascination with the ‘Orient’, in part stoked by military campaigns. It was a trend which often relied on fantasy and stereotype. The politics of imagery here reveal a dichotomy between the perceived sophistication of the West, and a somewhat Orientalist view of ‘other’ cultures. The way this artist pictures Ovid is one that emphasizes his status as a civilizing influence. To understand such a work better, scholars might explore texts from the period that discuss ideas of civilization, barbarism, and cultural exchange.