Page 321 - Beholding Liberty!
P. 321
HALL OF THE TROPHIES
Greek public - is evident in the richly ornament- ed and vividly coloured costumes of the Christian and the two Muslims.
In the small yet interesting painting [cat. no III.8.B.5] showing The Combat of the Giaour and Hassan, the artist focuses on the scene of the duel, with the Giaour on horseback having just defeated his opponent, who lies on the ground. It is probably by the hand of a follower of Eugène Delacroix; the latter painted this subject several times. In the most accomplished and best-known version by Delacroix, The Combat of the Giaour and Pasha, produced in 1835 (Paris, Petit Palais Museum), the bodies of the two rivals, together
with their horses, are intricately arranged in a composition of exceptional dynamism, which the obscure painter tries to replicate here.
The motif of defeat or, conversely, of victory was also the subject of faithful reproductions or looser adaptations in a number of decorative and ap- plied-art objects, especially prints. Moreover, the widespread use of this Byronic theme across a wide range of objets d’art, decorative and utili- tarian objects, such as clocks [cat. no II.8.D.18], embroidery, fireplace screens, reflects the enthu- siastic reception of both Byron’s poetry and phil- hellenic images in general.
SCENES AND FIGURES OF FREEDOM The phenomenon of Philhellenism 321
