A Mortally Wounded Brigand Quenches his Thirst

Eugène Delacroix completed this dramatic scene of a dying outlaw desperately drinking water. The figure's powerful musculature and anguished expression exemplify Romantic interest in extreme emotional and physical states.

Delacroix often depicted brigands and exotic subjects, drawn to themes of violence, passion, and death. The composition's diagonal thrust and rich color demonstrate his departure from Neoclassical restraint. Such subjects allowed exploration of the human body in crisis. It hangs at the Kunstmuseum Basel in Switzerland.