JACQUES MAJORELLE | MOUSSEM IN MOULA DOUREIN, ESSAOUIRA (MOROCCO)

By descent from the artist

Félix Marcilhac & Amélie Marcilhac, Jacques Majorelle (1886 - 1962), Répertoire de l'oeuvre peint, Paris, 2017, p. 296, no. 21, catalogued & illustrated (as Moussem à Moula Dourein, Mogador (Essaouira))

Painted in 1940, this is one of seven works by Jacques Majorelle depicting the moussem in the port city of Moula Dourein, Essaouria (also known as Mogador in Portuguese). The Arab word moussem indicates a festival, traditionally of religious content, common in all northern African territories. Over time, these festivals have become a celebration of local traditions, particularly of Berber tribal life. To date, the Tan-Tan Moussem is the largest gathering in North Africa with the participation of over thirty tribes.

The son of the celebrated furniture designer Louis Majorelle, Jacques studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Nancy, at a time when the Art Nouveau movement was in its ascendancy. With a keen eye for new artistic tendencies, Majorelle produced modern, rich, and colourful works which revolutionised the Orientalist tradition. 

A certificate from Amélie Marcilhac may be requested by the buyer.