JACQUES MAJORELLE (1886-1962),
Jebel Saghro or Adrar Saghro (2,712 m - 8,898 ft)
Morocco
In Tinghir todra, oil on canvas, 1930, Private owner
The mountain
The Jebel Saghro or Adrar Saghro (2,712 m - 8,898 ft) is located less than 100 km south of the central High Atlas, Morocco, overlooking the valleys of Drâa and Dadès, eastern part of the Anti-Atlas.
Lunar landscapes of plateaus, peaks, canyons, forest of pitons, immensity of spaces. In this chaos of black rocks, the small villages, are reduced to a few small houses surrounded by a bouquet of palm or almond trees. The north-south crossings are made by three passes traversed by difficult and very spectacular tracks: the Tazazert pass (2,283 m), the Kouaouch pass (2,592 m), and the Tagmout pass (1,919 m). The highest point of the mountain is the Amalou n Mansour (2,712 m) which is located southeast of the village of Iknioun.
Charles de Foucauld, gone in search of spirituality, is one of the first Western travelers having explored Jebel Saghro, (Reconnaissance au Maroc published in 1888 in Paris).
The painter
Jacques Majorelle son of the celebrated Art Nouveau furniture designer Louis Majorelle, was a French painter. He studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Nancy in 1901 and later at the Académie Julian in Paris with Schommer and Royer. Majorelle became a noted Orientalist painter, but is most remembered for constructing the villa and gardens that now carry his name, Les Jardins Majorelle in Marrakech.
In around 1917 he travelled to Morocco to recover from heart problems and after short period spent in Casablanca, he visited Marrakech, where he fell in love with the vibrant colours and quality of light he found there. Initially, he used Marrakech as a base for trips to Spain, Italy and other parts of North Africa, including Egypt. Eventually, however, he settled in Marrakech permanently.
He drew inspiration for his paintings from his trips and from Marrakesch itself. His paintings include many street scenes, souks and kasbahs as well as portraits of local inhabitants. He opened a handicrafts workshop in Marrakech and also designed posters to promote travel to Morocco. His work was profoundly affected by his voyages around the Mediterannean and North Africa. He introduced a more coloured vision, bathed in light where the drawing disappears and the image emerges from large spots of colour laid flat. It seemed as if he had discoved the sun in these countries. His style exhibited more freedom and spontaneity.
During his lifetime, many of Majorelle's paintings were sold to private buyers and remain in private collections. Some of his early works can be found in Museums around his birthplace such as the Musée de l'Ecole de Nancy. Examples of his later work can be seen in the Mamounia Hotel, Marrakesch, the French Consulate of Marrakech and in the Villa at the Majorelle Gardens.
2018 - Wandering Vertexes...
by Francis Rousseau
