In the beginning
Let's face it, painting existed in Morocco before the arrival of the Orientalists! But it's true that the techniques used on either side of the Mediterranean were different for a long time. Canvas, oil paint and signature remained Western characteristics until the 19th century. However, easel painting was introduced to Morocco as early as the 16th century, on the initiative of Sultan Ahmed Al Mansour. An artistic elite painted views of Marrakech, free from any influence. In Europe, Adrian Matham (1599-1660), followed by other painters, set off to explore the Maghreb under the protection of the Dutch embassy. Matham's travel journal and paintings provided the first image of Morocco abroad. The main European contribution was undoubtedly the discipline of oil on canvas.
The Musée de la Kasbah et des cultures méditerranéennes traces the history of Moroccan painting in all its diversity. Its archaeological collections focus on the exceptionally rich exchanges that forged Tangier's identity. The presentation begins with Romanization, leading to Islamization and then to the liberation of the Pearl of the Strait. A journey through bas-reliefs, mosaics, calligraphy and Phoenician figurines in a superb 17th-century building.
The Orientalists
Until the 19th century, only scholars, diplomats and rare artists were familiar with the tip of the continent, then synonymous with exoticism; Islamic art was even less familiar. Among the first painters to seek inspiration outside Europe, Eugène Delacroix discovered Morocco in 1832. Thanks to its strategic location, Tangier was a magnet for travelers. Delacroix immediately fell under the spell of the mythical city. Its culture, vegetation and people changed his style. His palette brightened, his motifs enriched. The lushness of his style is reflected in Les Environs de Tanger. In Ruelle à Tanger and Intérieur marocain, the painter delivers pure compositions, far removed from the orientalist clichés of his time. He thus laid the foundations for a new aesthetic that would inspire the European avant-garde, notably Impressionism.
After him, many painters in search of a certain romanticism stayed in Tangier. Between 1850 and 1880, Georges Clarin, Benjamin Constant, Alfred Dehodencq and Henri Regnault depicted harem scenes, fights and parties. Their depictions of Tangier struck a chord in the imagination of originality-loving Europeans. Henri Matisse (1869-1954) enjoyed living in contact with nature. In Nature morte aux oranges (1913), we note the tones dear to the master and the orange motif often used in his works. From his window, he painted the harmonious Vue sur la baie de Tanger (1912). Dufy, Nicolas de Staël and Van Dongen used the luminosity and sobriety of architecture to simplify their compositions.
Tangier and the Spanish
Artists from the Iberian Peninsula also crossed the Strait. Mariano Fortuny (1838-1874) was sent by the Spanish government to paint the events of the African War. The chronicler was seduced by the brilliance of Moroccan colors. So much so that he returned from 1860 to 1862 to immortalize the war in Tetouan in a huge canvas. Fortuny also painted the city, as in his watercolor Calle de Tánger and later in a series of oil on canvas. Josep Tapiró (1838-1913) settled in the heart of Tangier's medina, in a house-studio transformed into a cultural space, the casa Tapiró. He produced "Beautés tangéroises", a series of striking portraits combined with precious snapshots of the neighborhoods of yesteryear.
While the Spanish Quarter was in the ascendancy in the 1940s-1950s, it subsequently suffered from a long period of neglect. Over the last ten years or so, its streets have been reborn under the impetus of private cultural players, such as the daring Artingis gallery opened in 2010.
Tangier artists
In the early 20th century, Mohammed Ben Ali R'bati (1861-1939) and El Menebhi from Tangier were the first to paint scenes of daily life in gouache. R'Bati is quite simply considered the first Moroccan painter, the author of a truly indigenous art form. He integrated the traditional skills of miniature painting and illumination to create his own personal style. To do this, he invites himself into the intimacy of homes that are not easily accessible (circumcision parties, wedding celebrations). His neo-impressionist landscapes and genre scenes break with the miniaturist tradition of Arab-Islamic culture. Many painters followed this path in the 1920s-1930s, led by Jilali Ben Sellam, Kenza and Abdennebi.
All these self-taught painters frequented European artists living in Morocco. These exchanges gave rise to a spontaneous genre combining fantasy and popular tradition. Ahmed ben Driss el Yacoubi (1928-1985) was encouraged to paint by the writer Paul Bowles, whom he met in 1947. Bowles organized his first exhibition in Tangiers at Gallimard. After that, Yacoubi exhibited in New York in 1952 and continued his career on both continents. He mingled with the cosmopolitan intellectual and artistic milieu led by Francis Bacon and William Burroughs. This circle also saluted the talent of the Tangiers painter par excellence, Mohamed Hamri (1932-2000). The son of a ceramist and a musician, Hamri left his mark on modern art while helping to spread popular music. Purity of form and a rich palette characterize his style of stylized naiveté.
Representatives of modernity, including Hamri and R'bati, as well as Mohamed Sarghini, Jilali Gharbaoui and Fatima Hassan, are honored at the Villa Harris. At the same time, the cultural center is showing major artists of the early 20th century, such as Frank Tapiro, Jacques Majorelle, Claudio Bravo and Edy-Legrand.
Towards the 21st century
Prized by beat generation writers and artists (around 1960), cosmopolitan Tangier continues to nourish the Western imagination. Its special luminosity and perhaps the aura of all the free spirits who have wandered its alleyways maintain its magnetism.
Mohamed Drissi, born in 1946 in Tétouan, trained in Paris, Barcelona and Brussels before being seduced by Tangier. It was here that he chose to develop his work as a painter-sculptor. He deconstructs his figures to create universal compositions full of emotion. Since 1986, the Galerie d'art contemporain Mohamed Drissi, formerly the Musée d'art contemporain, has been promoting local contemporary painting and sculpture.
The 2000s saw a diversification of painting techniques. Collective artists improvise vernissages in the kasbah. Omar Mahfoudi, born in Tangier in 1981, combines painting, photography and video to express the contradictions of his country. Another theme close to his heart is eroticism, which remains a complicated subject to evoke in Moroccan culture. At the start of his career, the artist was very attached to portraiture. Since settling in Paris, his painting has opened up to new perspectives, emphasizing landscapes and developing a plastic language combining realism and fantasy.
Art trail
Since 2018, the Parcours des Arts has involved numerous galleries and exhibition centers every October. Painting, photography, sculpture and digital art are all on show. All facets of the Kingdom are treated with varied approaches that attest to the vivacity of the current scene. It's the perfect opportunity to stroll through the streets of Tangier. Looking for a different approach? Photography offers a complementary look at the enchanting city. For over twenty years, photographer Rachid Ouettassi (b. Tangier, 1969) has been surveying his city to capture its essence. His black-and-white photos combine everyday scenes with unusual moments. He exhibits notably at the dynamic Dar D'art gallery.
And tomorrow?
Young people in Tangier are revisiting the art of photography with inventiveness. Equipped with a smartphone or a retro camera, these snapshot artists capture the variety of their country. These talented artists, who also post their work on Instagram, are exhibited in dedicated venues such as the Fondation pour la Photographie. Located in the Sidi Masmoudi district, it is the work of photographer Daniel Aron and his partner Françoise. For these French expatriates, Tangier is a fabulous artistic breeding ground. Their foundation takes an interest in photographic archives, organizes meetings and makes a darkroom available to the younger generation.
The noorseen collective brings together photographers determined to shake up tradition. Among them, Mehdi Aït El Mallali has established himself as the spokesman for young people in a country attached to its customs. Not to be missed: the Photo Loft gallery presents the art of tomorrow on the top floor of a new building.
Street art in Tangier's Technopark pays tribute to a renowned photographer. Mouad Aboulhana was keen to honor the memory of the late Leila Alaoui. It wasn't easy for the graffiti artist. He had to confront the authorities who came to erase his portrait of the young woman killed in 2016 in a terrorist attack in Ouagadougou. The mobilization of local residents and Leila Alaoui's family made it possible to preserve his fresco. This is not an isolated case. Events such as the Tanja street art festival are breaking new ground and enabling all forms of expression to flourish. Likewise, art galleries champion artists from all horizons. Galerie Lawrence Arnott has been unearthing local and international talent since 1991. In the heart of Petit Socco, Galería Samet exhibits the likes of Freaky, Youcha, Partan and Gabriela Lavezzari. Neighboring Galerie Conil promotes traditional contemporary art, focusing on Berber and Arab culture. Last but not least, since 1999, the leading Medina Art Gallery covers all fields of modern, contemporary and orientalist art, without forgetting to support promising artists. Cosmopolitan Tangier has plenty to offer!
