It is no longer surprising to see painting flourish under the Moroccan sun. Since Eugène Delacroix’s journey, in the mid-nineteenth century, painters have worshipped the colours and intense light of the country. Morocco now has its own fine arts colleges and its own masters and, deservedly so, as there is an impressive number of major artists who find there inspiration there.

Subjugated by the works of Delacroix when he returned to Tangiers, many painters crossed the Mediterranean with their easels. In the nineteenth century, Matisse, Torres, Tapiés, Majorelle and Miro gave into the charms of the landscapes and fascinating local scenes. Later, they were followed by Nicolas de Staël, Francis Bacon and Edouard Degas.

Their presence naturally influenced Moroccan painters. The country’s pictorial art developed at an amazing speed. Hardly a century passed between the influence of the first European orientalists and the current masters of abstract expression that can be admired in the art galleries of Tétouan or Marrakech.

Painters, of all artists, are the most sensitive to the beauty of the site. Their sight constantly stimulated, they immediately identify the soft light and depth of colour. It is easy to understand their enthusiasm for Morocco , a land of art and emotions