The tapestry seller

The Tapestry Seller is a watercolour from 1870 that Mariano Fortuny made in Paris, though its polished finish and rich colour can easily be mistaken for an oil painting. The work belongs to the orientalist side of the artist's output, drawn to everyday scenes from North Africa: its streets, markets and shops. Here a merchant surrounded by hangings presents his wares, and the textiles themselves carry much of the picture's colour and sense of richness, the sort of subject that drew painters of the period. Fortuny had treated this theme before, and in this later version he worked on a larger scale, reusing the same figures and refining a motif that clearly held his attention. The light of North Africa, strong and warm, made a deep impression on him, and it shapes both the space and the objects. Because of its technique and its achievement, it is regarded as one of the standout pieces of his career.

Painter

Mariano Fortuny Marsal

Date

1870

Museum

Museum of Montserrat, Monistrol de Montserrat

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