Completed between 1823 and 1824, this painting is believed to be a preparatory work in oil for Delacroix’s next major work, The Massacre at Chios. However, Orphan Girl at the Cemetery has since come to be regarded as a masterpiece in its own right. We are presented with the view of a young peasant girl, visiting a cemetery in the French countryside. She bears an air of sorrow, as tears well in her eyes and she gazes apprehensively upward. The uncertain tone of the sky and the neglected graveyard are in keeping with the girl’s melancholic expression. Her posture and clothing suggest vulnerability, as the dress droops from the shoulder, exposing skin and her right hand is left weakly on her thigh. The shadows above the nape of her neck, the darkness at her left side and the cool colouring of her clothing all indicate her passive nature, hinting at a sense of loss or impending doom.
Delacroix’s shadowing technique, from the nape of the girl’s neck to the wrinkles of her clothing, reinforces the sense of loneliness felt by the orphaned girl. The background is slightly blurred, placing all the attention on the grief-stricken figure at the forefront of the canvas. The exceptional colour scheme chosen by the artist for the canvas further evokes the aura of loneliness.