NARRATOR—France’s invasion of Algeria in 1830 sparked a new interest in North African

subjects. This attraction was a matter not only of Romantic exoticism but also of historicism. French men and women naively—and erroneously—believed that the native population of Algeria afforded them a unique glimpse into a more primitive stage of human evolution. The young painter Théodore Chassériau was no exception. During his trip to Algeria, he wrote "I have seen some highly curious things: primitive and overwhelming, touching and singular- At Constantine, which is high up in the mountains, one sees the Arab people and the Jewish people [living] as they were at the very beginning of time."

Although Chassériau began his career as a child prodigy in the studio of Ingres, he was quickly seduced by the high-keyed colorism and passionate exoticism of his master's chief rival, Delacroix. In this tender scene depicting two North African Jewish women rocking an infant in a cradle, the artist emulates not only Delacroix's luxurious palette but also his fluid draftsmanship.