Vue sur la baie de Tanger, 1912, Henri Matisse, Grenoble, Musee de Grenoble.
Capturing this contrast of East and West on paper was a bold move on the part of Matisse, but transferring the marabout tomb onto the canvas lets the viewer know that the artist was developing an elevated and more serious interest in the subject. Vue sur la baie de Tanger shows that Matisse, although he did still demonstrate some architectural interest, was fascinated more and more by the symbolic Euro-African differences embodied by the tomb.
It should be noted that in contrast to the curving beach and sloping hills, the dome of the tomb is more intensely geometric. Matisse also pays closer attention to the crenellation that surrounds the dome. He notes the unique shape of these crenellations by complementing each touch of white paint with a touch of blue that notes the curving, multi-faced design.
Yet, the notion that Matisse only saw the marabout tomb in Vue sur la baie de Tanger as a matter of architectural interest is incorrect. The tomb depicted here was indeed a decent example of Islamic architecture, but it was far from the greatest. Ironically, the artist himself had already visited, in 1910, Cordoba, and had visited, but did not paint, La Mezquita (Turner and Benjamin, 74) The “Mezquita,” rivaled perhaps only by Granada’s Alhambra as the most spectacular example of Islamic architecture in the Europe, would have provided an opportunity unlike any other to develop an interest in Islamic architecture. However, Matisse did not devote significant effort to depicting the Cordovan mosque as he did for a few plain white buildings in Tangier. Matisse therefore implies something deeper when he forced the marabout tomb to emerge from the cityscape in this painting. As in the previous sketch, Matisse has used the burial place to set up a contrast. Notably, the dome of the tomb is parallel in shape to the curving harbor, which draws the viewer’s attention to both. The harbor, complete with a steamship, represents the entry point for European merchants, diplomats, and other visitors. The only visitors to the marabout tomb, however, are the shrouded Muslims that surround the structure. In a drawing of the same year, Vue de la Médine (1912), Matisse likewise depicted only native personages surrounding the tomb. By obscuring the forms of the ships, Matisse seeks to downplay their importance, as if to say that Islamic Tangier, represented by the marabout tomb is perfectly fine without Western interference. Simultaneously, the ships at sea do remind Matisse that he is of their blood, not the Moroccans. In other words, Matisse’s inclusion of this European element symbolically serves as recognition, like in H.Matisse par lui-même, that the artist himself was in contrast with his environment.
(pictured above right)Vue de la Medine, 1912, Henri Matisse, Private Collection.
Although Deux vues de Tanger(1912/1913) may appear like a regression to pen and paper, in truth shows that Matisse plucked the two most significant elements from Vue sur la baie de Tanger and focused in on their symbolic significance as opposing entities. These elements were the steamships and the marabout tomb. “Two views” show this stark contrast via a picture-in-picture. To represent the presence of the West, Matisse occupies a corner of his sketch with a look out over the city towards the water, across which lies the Iberian Peninsula and all of Europe. The ocean is dominated by the presence of steamboats, their smoke billowing in different directions. These commercial boats encapsulate the historical origins of French intervention in Morocco, as economic interest was the original motivator for colonization. The three ships sail around the shore as if they were invading it. On the other hand, the larger vue which occupies most of the drawing shows the more authentically Muslim remnants of Tangier. To represent this, Matisse has chosen a marabout as the primary structure. The dome and longitudinal lines are imperfect, showing that Matisse did not likely use the marabout in this situation as a matter of architectural intrigue. It serves its role by symbolizing the heart of the city. It is blocked off from European influence, as it is not near the coast, and as only Muslims may enter it. The marabout signifies the Morocco that Matisse saw in its purest form, and the steamships remind him of his own nationality and of his inevitable return to France. Yet symbolism aside, what is most important about this sketch is that it begs the question, is the view of the steamships a unique image of Tangier? In other words, Matisse seems to ask whether European presence is truly necessary for a successful depiction of the Moroccan city.
(pictured above right)Deux Vues de Tanger, 1912/1913, Henri Matisse, Private Collection.