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African Chief

A work made of oil on canvas.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of oil on canvas.

Date:

1870

Artist:

Mariano Fortuny y Marsal
Spanish, 1838-1874

About this artwork

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.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Painting and Sculpture of Europe

Artist

Mariano Fortuny y Marsal

Title

African Chief

Place

Spain (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1870

Medium

Oil on canvas

Inscriptions

Inscribed, lower right: Fortuny '70/ A MI AMIGO J GOYENA

Dimensions

41 × 32.9 cm (16 1/8 × 12 15/16 in.)

Credit Line

George F. Harding Collection

Reference Number

1983.382

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

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https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/100352/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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