The Chios Massacre refers to the slaughter of tens of thousands of Greeks on the island of Chios by Ottoman (Turkish) troops during the Greek War of Independence in 1822 - very loud event at the time. Against convention, there is no main heroic figure - only some unknown civilians. The prominent colours can be described as jaundiced yellows or, by another French painter, as the fever and epilepsy of modern art. Delacroix was quickly hailed as a leader of the new Romantic style.
The Massacre of Chios
oil on canvas • 419 cm × 354 cm
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Eugène Delacroix