View of Tangier from the Seashore

Delacroix was one of the most influential artists in history. His painting style was ahead of his time, shocking or disgusting most artists of the French Academy, the authority on visual art in the 1700s and 1800s. He was not interested in creating an exact replica of what he saw, rather he sought to express feelings though his art. His loose brushwork and use of color evoke emotions inspired the French Impressionists and many other artists. He created this work many years after visiting Africa, and the passing of time allowed his memories and impressions to influence the painting more than the reality of his observations. This painting once belonged to James J. Hill (1838-1916), the Minnesota railroad magnate whose collection of European paintings forms the basis of the Institute's nineteenth-century holdings.