Abd-ar-Rahman ibn Hisham, sultan of Morocco, leaving his palace in Mekinez, surrounded by his guard and his chief officers.
In 1845, Delacroix exhibits in the Salon this great historical canvas, the most monumental work he has done on the Moroccan theme. Nearly fifteen years after the events, the scene evokes an audience attended by the painter on March 22 of 1832, during his trip to Morocco in the company of Charles de Mornay, sent by Louis-Philippe on a diplomatic mission. But the failure of the mission could have made him change his mind: in this painting executed late, the painter was content to represent the Sultan in all its splendor. Several sketches and sheets of notebooks by Delacroix must be related to this work. It should be noted that more than a picturesque illustration of a ceremony full of colors, what Delacroix presents here is a monumental portrait.
