Maure d’Alger

Technique: Steel engraving with watercolour
Date: Middle of the 19th century
Dimensions: 320 × 215 mm (framed)

This is an original hand-coloured engraving, not a digitally printed copy. Bought in France. Framed in Cape Town.

This dashing young man – a so-called moor of Algiers – first appeared in late 18th-century France in a multi-volume survey of the costumes and customs of the known world compiled by Sylvain Maréchal (1750–1803). 

He lived a long and varied life, going on to be reproduced deep into the 19th century in other such encyclopedic series, striking one of a few poses against a rustic backdrop or, more often, a void, but always recognisable from his clothing and accoutrements. One iteration has him craggy-faced and white-bearded but with his pipe still firmly in his grasp! This more typical version is probably from the 1840s or 50s.

We chose a custom-painted pink frame for this gentleman. It matches the frame for the Tunisian woman.