Charles Ernest Smets "oasis Of Tinghir Morocco" Orientalist Impressionist Painting, 1940

Charles Ernest Smets, oil painting on canvas mounted on panel, ca. 1940
The work is framed under old glass, making it difficult to take proper photos. Some reflections and flashes from the camera are present on the images, please excuse us.

This canvas illustrates a lively orientalist scene from the oasis of Tinghir in Morocco. In the shade of palm trees, figures dressed in djellabas and haiks gather at the edge of a stream, in an atmosphere bathed in light. The colorful reflections on the surface of the water reflect a strong impressionist approach, where broad and vibrant brushstrokes emphasize light and atmosphere over meticulous detail.

Biography – Charles Ernest Smets (1909 – ca. 1987)
Charles Ernest Smets was a Belgian painter, draftsman, and engraver. Trained in the academic tradition, he quickly turned to landscape and genre painting. His travels in North Africa, particularly Morocco, had a profound influence on his work.

Smets followed in the footsteps of 20th-century Belgian Orientalist painters, but with a freer and more impressionistic style. He favored light, color, and the spontaneity of everyday scenes. His preferred themes included markets, alleys, oases, and local ceremonies.

His work stands at the crossroads between the European traveler’s gaze, fascinated by the Orient, and a pictorial exploration of light and modernity. His paintings regularly appear at auctions in Belgium and France, often under the title Moroccan Scenes or Landscapes of the South.

Orientalism Context
Orientalism, a movement that emerged in the 19th century with European artists traveling to the Maghreb and the Middle East, finds an extension here in the 20th century. In line with this tradition, Charles Ernest Smets captures both the picturesque and the human aspects of Moroccan daily life: scenes of rest, rituals, and intimate moments within natural settings. Such representations appealed to European travelers and collectors fascinated by the exoticism and landscapes of the South.

Packaging and Delivery Costs

• Pick-up: Free

• Belgium: €40

• France: €80

• Europe: €100

• Worldwide: €250