JACQUES MAJORELLE (1886-1962)
High Atlas (4,167 m - 2.589 mi - 13,678 ft)
Morocco
In La kasbah d'Ammeniter et la Vallée d'Ounila, Oil on canvas, 1925, Private collection
The mountain
High Atlas, also called the Grand Atlas is a mountain range in central Morocco, North Africa, the highest part of the Atlas Mountains. The High Atlas rises in the west at the Atlantic Ocean and stretches in an eastern direction to the Moroccan-Algerian border. At the Atlantic and to the southwest the range drops abruptly and makes an impressive transition to the coast and the Anti-Atlas range. To the north, in the direction of Marrakech, the range descends less abruptly. The range includes Jbel Toubkal, which at 4,167 m (2.589 mi; 13,671 ft) is the highest in the range and lies in Toubkal National Park. The range serves as a weather system barrier in Morocco running east–west and separating the Sahara from the Mediterranean and continental zones to the north and west. In the higher elevations of the massif, snow falls regularly, allowing winter sports. Snow lasts well into last spring in the High Atlas, mostly on the northern faces of the range. On the Western High Atlas, there is Oukaïmeden, one of three main ski stations in Morocco.
The High Atlas forms the basins for a multiplicity of river systems. The majority of the year-round rivers flow to the north, providing the basis for the settlements there. A number of wadis and seasonal rivers terminate in the deserts to the south and plateaux to the east of the mountains. The High-Atlas Mountains are inhabited by Berbers, who live from agriculture and pastoralism in the valleys. In the steppe zone of the High-Atlas, where precipitations are low, the locals created a smart technique in managing the low precipitations and the weak soil. They turn the rather semi-arid lands into fertile valleys called locally by Agdal (garden in Berber). This technique has intrigued many Western agriculturalists, in which they were impressed by the high efficiency of this agricultural system. Many scientists, particularly French scientists, make yearly expeditions to observe the community and their living system.
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.
In 1919, he married Andrée Longueville and the pair lived in an
apartment near the Jemâa el-Fna Square (then at the palace of Pasha Ben
Daoud). In 1923, Jacques Majorelle bought a four acre plot, situated on
the border of a palm grove in Marrakech and in 1931, he commissioned the
architect, Paul Sinoir, to design a Cubist villa for him. He gradually
purchased additional land, extending his holding by almost 10 acres. In
the grounds around the residence, Majorelle began planting a luxuriant
garden which would become known as the Jardins Majorelle or Majorelle
Garden. He continued to work on the garden for almost forty years. The
garden is often said to be the his finest work. Majorelle developed a
special shade of the colour blue, which was inspired by the blue tiles
prevalent in southern Morocco. This colour was used extensively in
Majorelle's house and garden, and now carries his name;
Majorelle Blue.
The garden proved costly to run and in 1947, Majorelle opened the garden
to the public with an admission fee designed to defray the cost of
maintenance. He sold the house and land in the 1950s, after which it
fell into disrepair.
Majorelle was sent to France for medical treatment in 1962 following a
car accident, and died in Paris, later that year of complications from
his injuries. He is buried in Nancy, the place of his birth.
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.
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2020 - Wandering Vertexes...
by Francis Rousseau
