The Orientalist works of art

Orientalist art refers to the production of artists, like Delacroix, who travelled across Arab countries to search for inspiration of what was called after the expedition of Bonaparte in Egypt, “the Orient”.The collection of Bank Al Maghrib provides a rather complete panorama of Orientalist works of art in Morocco. It actually spans over almost a century of painting.

These “travelling artists” were first of all impressed by everything that was in contrast with their countries of origin. In the beginning, they stood out with a purely mimetic academic style. Then, at the beginning of the 20th Century, their production became more or less characterized by the revolution that took place in the plastic scene of that era- such as symbolism, fauvism, expressionism and cubism.

The explosion of abstract art in Europe and the independence movements in colonized countries finally sealed the fate of Orientalist art.

JACQUES MAJORELLE (1886-1962) - Kasbah d'Ameniter (vallée de l'Ounila), 1928, Gouache rehaussée de poudre d'or et d'argent, 68 x 54,5 cm	Lord Edwin Weeks (1849-1903) - L'arrivée d'une caravane (Marrakech), 1882 Huile sur toile, 91,4 x 153,6 cm	BENJAMIN-CONSTANT (1845-1902) - L'Echoppe des Tailleurs, Huile sur toile, 100,5 x 63,5 cm