One of the most poignant works of art to capture the heroism and sacrifice of the Greek Revolution is coming home. Eugène Delacroix’s iconic painting, Greece on the Ruins of Missolonghi, will travel from the Museum of Fine Arts in Bordeaux to be hosted at the Xenokrateio Archaeological Museum in Missolonghi.
The exhibition, running from March 14 through November 2026, commemorates the 200th anniversary of the Exodus of Missolonghi.
Delacroix’s Ruins of Missolonghi: A symbol of despair and defiance
Painted in 1826, shortly after the third siege of Missolonghi, this monumental work, which is 208 centimeters by 147 centimeters (about 81X58 inches), is a stark, emotional recording of the Greek struggle.
Delacroix depicts Greece as a mourning woman in traditional dress, her chest bared and her arms outstretched in an agonizing gesture of despair. She stands tall amidst the ruins of Missolonghi, beneath which lie the bodies of fallen Greek fighters. Behind her, a figure symbolizing the oppressor plants a flag in the blood-soaked earth.
This painting is a cornerstone of Philhellenic art, immortalizing the “Sacred City” of Missolonghi—the very place where Dionysios Solomos’ “Hymn to Liberty,” the Greek national anthem, was first printed in Greek.
Delacroix: The art of the Greek Revolution
Eugène Delacroix did more than paint; he used his art to amplify the voices of the revolutionaries across Europe. A fervent philhellene, he was deeply disturbed by the brutality of the conflict. In his 1822 diary, he wrote vividly about the violence he had witnessed and heard of:
“When the Turks catch the wounded on the battlefield, or even their prisoners, they say: ‘Don’t be afraid,’ and they strike them in the face with the hilt of their sword to make them bow their heads; then they take their heads off with one blow!”
These horrific accounts pushed Delacroix to the canvas, where he hoped to support the Greek cause for national independence in the only way he knew how—by ensuring the world could not look away. Delacroix’s dedication to the Greek cause resulted in several other significant works that shaped European public opinion, including:
The Massacre at Chios (1824): Created when the artist was just 24, this was his first large-scale painting. Inspired by the slaughter of Chios residents on Easter Sunday at the Monastery of Saint Minas, it captured the atrocity with such harrowing realism that it profoundly shocked Europe and galvanized the philhellenic movement. The work was purchased by the French government and remains in the Louvre.
The Combat of the Giaour and Hassan: Inspired by the poem “The Giaour,” by Lord Byron (another titan of philhellenism), this painting—now at the Art Institute of Chicago—depicts the dramatic climax where the “Giaour” seeks vengeance for his lover, who was killed by the Turkish Hassan.
Episode of the Greek War: This work captures the pride and courage of the Greek fighters. It depicts a Greek soldier in a white fustanella, black sash, and embroidered vest, galloping fearlessly across the battlefield. This version, currently in the National Gallery of Athens, is a reimagining of an earlier, lost work on the same theme.
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