In the dimly lit, richly colored interior of a north african shop, a turbaned merchant serves a customer seated on a divan. Kneeling in front is an attendant, and barely discernible in the background is a craftsman at work. To the left, a man smokes a hookah. Villegas has adopted a subject made popular by mariano fortuny, but rather than exploring light effects, he provides an almost overwhelmingly detailed array of bric-a-brac. Even the picture frame, custom-ordered for this painting, is inscribed in naskh script: "there is no god but allah and mohammed is his prophet. ". Object Type: painting. Date: 1872. Place of creation: Venice, Italy. Dimensions: height: 48.3 cm (19 in); width: 65 cm (25.5 in); Framed H without build-up: 36 1/4 x W: 42 1/2 x D: 4 1/4 in. (92.08 x 107.95 x 10.8 cm). Medium: oil on canvas. Collection: Walters Art Museum. José Villegas Cordero - The Slipper Merchant - Walters 37105
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