Moroccan Horseshoer c. 1870

Mariano Fortuny Marsal painted ‘Moroccan Horseshoer’ in the second half of the 19th century, using oil on canvas. The painting depicts an everyday scene, but it also subtly reflects the social and cultural dynamics of the time. The image presents a snapshot of life in Morocco, a country that was becoming increasingly accessible to European artists and tourists. The visual codes, from the dress of the figures to the architecture, speak of a culture markedly different from that of Europe, and a fascination with North Africa became a feature of European art and literature. Note the chickens and the pile of grain in the foreground: The painting may serve as a commentary on the orientalist fantasy, but, in its everyday details, it also documents a very real place and time. To understand the painting fully, we might delve into travel literature of the period, museum collections of North African artifacts, and studies of the art market. By doing so, we gain a richer appreciation of how it was produced and perceived, and thus its meaning as something inextricably rooted in social and institutional context.