Mariano Fortuny

MARIANO FORTUNY Y MADRAZO (Granada, 1871-Venice, 1949).
"Arab Guard".
Woodcut wood engraving plate.
Signed in plate.
Measurements: 20 x 15 x 15 x 2 cm.
This work has the same model as the painting by Mariano Fortuny entitled "Arab Guard", made by the artist in 1863 and currently in the collection of the Taft Museum in Cincinnati, USA. This is one of the most suggestive compositions of Fortuny's first incursions into Orientalist-inspired themes, the result of the deep impression left by his recent stay in Morocco. During that trip, the artist not only learned the Arabic language, but also adopted the local dress, which allowed him to observe firsthand the daily life of the region.
In the work we see a Moroccan soldier seated on a set of mats. With his right hand he holds his rifle while he quietly smokes from an elongated pipe. Next to him are arranged a bottle and a richly ornamented plate, and in the lower part of the scene appear some untidy cloths that add naturalness to the composition.
Mariano Fortuny y Madrazo was a Spanish scholar, artist, inventor and fashion designer who opened his haute couture house in 1906 and continued until 1946. He was the son of the painter Mariano Fortuny y Marsal. His father, a genre painter, died when Fortuny was three years old and his mother, Cecilia, moved the family to Paris, France. From an early age it was evident that Fortuny was a talented artist, who showed gifts for painting and a passion for textiles. During his childhood he was introduced to many different textiles and fabrics, which greatly influenced his creativity. His parents were passionate about materials and had their own collections of textiles from various stores they had visited in Europe. His father also collected metalwork and armor from earlier periods as a hobby. It was this exposure that led him to design and produce his own textiles and dresses. The family moved again in 1889 to Venice, Italy. As a young man, Fortuny traveled throughout Europe in search of artists he admired, among them the German composer Richard Wagner. Fortuny acquired varied talents, some of which included invention, painting, photography, sculpture, architecture, engraving, and theatrical stage lighting. While in Paris, Fortuny registered and patented more than 20 inventions between 1901 and 1934. His work was a source of inspiration for the French novelist Marcel Proust.