They measure carefully, again and again, the distance from the painted burgundy wall and place two white foam supports at its base and two more a little over two meters away. They take a deep breath and gently touch the “Mona Lisa” of their museum, Eugène Delacroix’s masterpiece Greece on the Ruins of Missolonghi. The gloved hands of the conservators at the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Bordeaux have moved the French painter’s important work, created in 1826—the same year and inspired by the events of the Exodus of Missolonghi—only once in the past decade, in 2018, for its journey to Paris and New York.
Now, however, with slow, careful movements, they unhook it, place it on soft floor supports, and prepare to position it in a specially constructed ultra-insulated crate for a unique journey. This time, its destination is Greece, specifically Messolonghi, where the allegorical oil painting, measuring 2.13 x 1.42 meters, will be exhibited for the first time at the very site of the events that inspired the Philhellene Romantic painter to depict them on canvas with a “proud, broad stroke,” as Victor Hugo remarked when he saw the work—a precursor to Delacroix’s iconic composition Liberty Leading the People.
Shortly before it is placed at the top of the staircase of the Xenocrateion Archaeological Museum in Messolonghi, ready to welcome the public from Saturday through the end of November as part of the 200th-anniversary celebration of the heroic Exodus, the director of the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Bordeaux, Sophie Barthélémy, spoke to Nea about the timeless significance of the work and the preparation for its transfer to Greece.
Greece on the Ruins of Missolonghi is not only one of Delacroix’s emblematic works but also a deeply political and historically charged painting. What does it mean for the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Bordeaux to hold in its collection a work so closely connected to a major event in European—and not only French—history?
Due to its emblematic status, Greece on the Ruins of Missolonghi, purchased in 1852 by the Société des Amis des Arts in Bordeaux, is in some ways the “Mona Lisa” of the collection. The museum, one of the oldest municipal museums in the city, is among the fifteen major fine arts museums in the region established in 1801 during Napoleon Bonaparte’s Consulate. It offers a panorama of European art from the 15th to the 20th century and presents many works linked to events in European history. Among them are two works by Alessandro Magnasco depicting the tragic fate of galley slaves in the port of Genoa in the 17th century, and Van Dyck’s depiction of the exile of the deposed Queen Marie de Médicis in Antwerp.
The painting was created in a context of intense Philhellenism. Almost two centuries later, does its Philhellenic message remain active, or is the work today perceived more as a universal symbol of trauma, loss, and freedom?
Through this work, Delacroix proposes a highly symbolic composition reflecting the sensitivities and commitments of his era, particularly toward the Greek cause. By choosing an allegorical approach instead of strict realism, he gives the painting a universal dimension, which explains its timelessness. How we perceive the work also evolves with our relationship to history: today, it is less seen as an expression of uncertainty over a people’s fate and more as a universal declaration of the struggle for freedom.
The painting was created during a period of wars and political conflicts. How can it be interpreted today, in an era shaped by renewed geopolitical tensions and wars?
The work, referring to the pursuit of freedom and a people’s resistance against foreign occupation, resonates particularly strongly in today’s international geopolitical context, characterized by multiple conflicts and questions of sovereignty. One naturally thinks of the situation in Ukraine (at the time of the interview, the war in the Middle East had not yet broken out).
Do you consider it a key work for understanding Delacroix’s artistic identity?
Perhaps less for his artistic identity, though due to its subject and dramatic treatment, it is a quintessentially Romantic work reflecting also his political stance and deep commitment to Philhellenism, of which he was one of the most fervent supporters in France.
For the first time, the painting will travel to Greece, the country that inspired it. What factors led to this decision, beyond the anniversary?
The presence of large reproductions of Greece on the Ruins of Missolonghi on building façades in Athens and Mytilene, which I saw during a trip to Greece in 2021—the 200th anniversary of the Greek Revolution—allowed me to grasp the painting’s significant symbolic value for Greeks. This realization greatly contributed, among other criteria, to the museum’s decision to lend this masterpiece to the Xenocrates Museum in Messolonghi, the actual site of the painting’s subject, which Delacroix had imagined without ever visiting Greece, though actively supporting the Greek cause from Paris. It should be noted that the painting had previously been exhibited in a Parisian gallery to raise funds for the insurgent Greeks.
Has it been lent to other museums or countries before?
This is a work that very rarely leaves the museum halls. In the past ten years, it has only been lent once, in 2018, for the Delacroix retrospective at the Louvre and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
What are the main stages in preparing such a loan?
Due to its status as a masterpiece and its fragility, the work can only travel in exceptional cases. Upon reviewing the loan request, a detailed condition check was conducted by a conservator, who issued specific recommendations to ensure optimal conditions during removal, transport, and reinstallation. Transporting a work of art requires great discretion, as each piece is unique and irreplaceable. Moving this emblematic work from Bordeaux to Messolonghi is a particularly complex operation due to its size, fragility, administrative and customs procedures, as well as security, cost, and timing considerations. It is a fully customized process in collaboration with a specialized art transport company, including the construction of a specially designed ultra-insulated crate and accompaniment by a representative from the museum’s scientific team, who monitors the stability of the painting surface and support, taking all necessary precautions from departure to installation in the Messolonghi museum.
What are the basic requirements for the receiving venue?
Every loan request is accompanied by a detailed report on display conditions, ensuring all prescribed safety and conservation standards.
When such an important work is temporarily removed from the permanent collection, what does the museum lose?
The loan provides an opportunity to present other works from storage, especially those by Adrien Doutreval, a friend of Delacroix from Bordeaux, with whom he shared an interest in Orientalism. Special signage also informs the public of the painting’s temporary relocation to the Messolonghi exhibition.
Do you plan to visit Messolonghi to see it on display?
Yes, I plan to travel for the opening and see the exhibition in person. I am particularly moved by the idea of encountering a city so closely connected to our masterpiece. The meeting of the work with the people of Messolonghi will be a very emotional moment, and I am happy to experience it.
Is there any detail in the painting you would suggest visitors pay attention to?
I would draw attention to the victorious Turkish Janissary in the background of the painting, who remains slightly in the shadows.