Théophile Jean Delaye - Souk In Marrakech

Théophile Jean DELAYEDrôme, 1896 – Drôme, 1970Souk in MarrakechGouache34 x 24 cm (48 x 38 cm with the frame)Signed and titled lower left “Souk in Marrakech / Théophile Jean Delaye”Beautiful original solid wood frameVery good conditionThéophile Jean Delaye is a painter and illustrator who discovered and worked to promote Morocco in the 1930s and 1940s. He notably produced book illustrations for Éditions Arthaud in the “Les Beaux pays” collection and after the Second World War he settled in Morocco, in Rabat and continued his work to promote Morocco (for example, he contributed to the creation of the Toubkal Natural Park). In 1937, he illustrated a book entitled "Promenades à Marrakech" by Marc de Mazières (Paris, Horizons de France, 1937). Our painting is a very beautiful gouache representing the souk in Marrakech. It is signed and located. The sense of light is remarkable and the modulation of values in whites and beiges, as well as the precision of the drawing by a painter who was also a topographer. In 2022, the Villa Majorelle in Marrakech dedicated an exhibition to him ("From the map to the landscape, Théophile-Jean Delaye in Morocco").