African Chief
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
41 × 32.9 cm (16 1/8 × 12 15/16 in.); Framed: 68.6 × 61 × 8.9 cm (27 × 24 × 3 1/2 in.)
Classification
painting
Department
Painting and Sculpture of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
100352
Rights
Public Domain
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...