Josep Tapiró

JOSEP TAPIRÓ Y BARÓ, (Reus, 1836 - Tangier, 1913).
"Maidens outside Tangier", Tangier.
Watercolor on paper.
Signed and located in the lower right corner.
Measurements: 68 x 46 cm; 86 x 66 cm (frame).

In "Maidens on the outskirts of Tangier", Josep Tapiró, one of the greatest exponents of Spanish Orientalist watercolor, transports us to a scene of refined beauty and meticulous detail. The composition, framed by a natural landscape overlooking the city, shows two Moroccan women dressed in rich embroidered garments and jewelry, reflecting the artist's interest in ethnographic precision and meticulous detail of traditional costumes and ornaments.
The watercolor is characterized by its technical delicacy, where light and color combine to create an enveloping atmosphere. Tapiró employs a loose but precise brushstroke, achieving subtle textures in fabrics, skin and architectural elements. The chromatic range, dominated by ochre, gold and blue tones, reinforces the warmth and serenity of the scene, while the elevated perspective allows the city of Tangier to be appreciated in the background, adding a sense of depth and narrative context.
The work is an outstanding example of late 19th century Orientalism, an artistic current that, influenced by Romanticism and exoticism, idealized the life and customs of the peoples of North Africa and the Middle East. Unlike other Orientalist painters who depicted idealized or imagined scenes, Tapiró stood out for his realistic and direct approach, faithfully capturing the daily life of Morocco with a deep respect for its inhabitants.

A disciple and close friend of Mariano Fortuny, Josep Tapiró trained at the School of Fine Arts in Barcelona and continued his career in Rome, where he perfected his watercolor technique and consolidated his detailed and refined style. In 1876, after Fortuny's death, Tapiró moved to Tangier, becoming the main visual chronicler of Moroccan life. His work is distinguished by a rigorous and documentary orientalism, capturing with great fidelity the clothes, traditions and expressions of the inhabitants of the Maghreb.
Internationally recognized, his watercolors were exhibited in exhibitions in Paris, London, Venice and Barcelona, achieving great prestige among European collectors and museums. Today, his legacy can be found in important institutions such as the National Art Museum of Catalonia (MNAC), the Prado Museum, the Museum of Montserrat and the Hispanic Society of America in New York.