The Murder of Polonius 1834 - 1843

Eugène Delacroix captured "The Murder of Polonius" with lithography, immortalizing a pivotal moment from Shakespeare's Hamlet. Hamlet, with sword in hand, has just pierced the arras, believing he was killing Claudius, instead, he has slain Polonius. The arras itself, a seemingly simple curtain, becomes a potent symbol. In ancient Greece, the veil concealed sacred mysteries; here, it hides deception and foreshadows tragedy. The gesture of piercing or rending the veil is a recurring motif in art across cultures—from the tearing of the Temple veil in Christian iconography to the unveiling of truths in classical mythology. This dramatic act speaks to our primal urge to reveal what is hidden, to confront the unknown. The image elicits a visceral response; the surprise, the horror, the abrupt confrontation with death. These emotions resonate across time, reminding us of the cyclical nature of human drama, continually replayed on the stage of history.