The Death of Sardanapalus by Delacroix - Poster

This painting is on display in the Louvre. A smaller replica by Delacroix is owned by the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It shows, in the centre, King Sardanapalus of Assyria, dressed in white, lays in his bed which is covered with bright red sheets. On the front corners of his bed are two large elephant heads. His bed stands on top of a large pyre. You can see some woodblocks making up the pyre behind the black slave in the left foreground and on the bottom right. While rebellion forces surround his palace, Sardanapalus orders his eunuchs and palace officers to cut the throats of his mistresses. He did not want anyone or anything that gave him pleasure during his life to survive him. He has a calm and disinterested expression which contrast strongly with the cruel scene around him. Notice also that all mistresses and Sardanapalus wear expensive jewellery as the king also wanted his royal possessions to be burned with him on the pyre. On the bottom right is also a collection of crowns and jewellery that are about to go down. More detailed information about this painting can be found at https://www.tripimprover.com/blog/the-death-of-sardanapalus-by-eugene-delacroix.