Mariano Fortuny y Marsal (Spanish, 1838-1874)
African Chief
INV-1003
Mariano Fortuny y Marsal (Spanish, 1838-1874)1870
African Chief
Mariano Fortuny y Marsal (Spanish, 1838-1874) →19th centuryorientalizingpaintingoil on canvas
Date
1870
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
41 × 32.9 cm (16 1/8 × 12 15/16 in.); Framed: 68.6 × 61 × 8.9 cm (27 × 24 × 3 1/2 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
George F. Harding Collection
Although this appears to be a portrait rendered quickly from direct observation, it is in fact an imagined representation of an African chief. Working in Paris, Mariano Fortuny y Marsal referenced elements from different cultures to construct this fictional scene, which is based on sketches he made and objects he collected while traveling in North Africa. The figure carries items from that region, such as the kabyle musket slung across his shoulders and a haik, the white outer garment encircling his head, neck, and lower body. The pata (gauntlet sword) and powder flask hanging from his waist, however, are of Indian origin.
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