José Tapiró

The artist; thence to his widow

Private collection

Africa, Revista de Tropas Coloniales, October 1928, no. 46, p. 254, illustrated

A Game of Draughts is a prime example of Tapiró’s remarkable ability to create rigorous yet spontaneous life studies in watercolour. Probably painted in the late 1880s, the artist has depicted an interior with brightly woven carpets and two seated men absorbed in a game of draughts. It is the turn of the man on the right, who raises his hand in anticipation while his opponent focuses closely. The artist was one of the most international Catalan artists of the 19th century, acclaimed for his ability to capture daily life in the medina. After permanently settling in North Africa in 1876, Tapiró would spend winters painting in-situ, while in spring he often travelled to Rome, followed by visits to London where his works were sold. An exhibition titled Josep Tapiró: Tangier Painter was held in 2014 (one hundred years after Tapiro’s death) at the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya. The show was instrumental in bringing together and celebrating his paintings depicting everyday life in Tangier (such as the present work). Highlights of the exhibition included watercolours titled Feast of the Aissawa (private collection), The Darwaci Holy Man of Marrakech (Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya) and The Marabout (private collection).