Guards on horseback at the entrance to the Kasbah in Tetuan, figures sitting on the ground

Art Historical Context

Mariano Fortuny’s etching captures a lively scene at the entrance to the Kasbah in Tétouan, Morocco, where mounted guards in traditional attire stand watch over figures seated on the ground. Created around 1873, the work reflects the Spanish artist’s deep fascination with North African life, drawn from his travels in the region during the 1860s. Fortuny, celebrated for his luminous watercolors and precise draftsmanship, brought the same keen observation to printmaking, distilling exotic architecture, costume, and daily activity into a compact, evocative composition. As an etching, the print allowed Fortuny to exploit fine lines and subtle tonal contrasts, techniques that highlight both the texture of horses’ coats and the play of light across robes and stone. Though small in scale—the plate measures just under nine by seven inches—the image conveys a sense of monumentality and immediacy typical of his Orientalist subjects. Acquired by the Metropolitan Museum as a gift from Junius S. Morgan, the etching exemplifies Fortuny’s ability to translate fleeting travel impressions into enduring works that introduced European audiences to the sights and atmosphere of Morocco.

About the Artist

Mariano Fortuny, 1838–1874 (Spanish) · 1838 –1874

Spanish, 1838–1874