20^th Century Spanish

After showing precocious talent as a child, Bertuchi began studying under the landscape artist José Larrocha (1850-1933) and later at the San Fernando School of Fine Arts in Madrid.

Strongly influenced by Joaquín Sorolla’s personal version of Impressionism, Bertuchi’s period in Granada reveals his penchant for the vibrations of light and colour.

In the late 19^th century he moved to Tangier, where he produced a considerable amount of work, ranging from Indian ink sketches for the magazine África to tourist posters, postage stamps and countless small paintings on boards depicting scenes from Morocco at that time. From that moment onwards, his work would be strongly marked by the warm African sun and by everyday views of the continent and its people.

In Morocco he held a number of important posts, including that of Chief Inspector of the Fine Arts Department of the Spanish Protectorate (1928), and President of the High Board of Art and History Monuments of Morocco (1956). He also helped to ensure future generations of artists, founding the School of Indigenous Arts of Tetouan in 1945, which would be elevated to the category of National School of Fine Arts in 1993. He died in Tetouan in 1955.