Wedding Procession 1841 - 1879

Victor Eeckhout created “Wedding Procession” using oil on canvas, a scene capturing his vision of Morocco. Eeckhout was deeply influenced by the 19th century Orientalist movement, a fascination with the "exotic" cultures of North Africa and the Middle East. There's a tension here, as the painting offers a glimpse into a culture that Eeckhout, as a European artist, could only ever observe from the outside. The image is filled with people, architecture and traditions that are both romanticized and, inevitably, filtered through a Western lens. Look closely, and you'll see the active street life, the people in traditional clothing, and the architecture which work together to evoke a sense of place. In this work, whose wedding is being celebrated, whose lives are being represented? Consider that this representation flattens out the complexities and nuances of the Moroccan identity. The painting asks us to reflect on the power dynamics inherent in how cultures represent one another, and to think critically about what we see, and whose stories remain untold.