La Batalla de Tetuan

The composition records the decisive moment of the Spanish‑Moroccan War, emphasizing the triumph of the Spanish army over the defending Moroccan troops. By focusing on the capture of the city, the painting conveys a narrative of military victory that aligned with contemporary Spanish patriotic sentiment.

Fortuny based the large-scale scene on sketches made during a 1860 field visit with the army. His approach combines detailed observation of uniforms and terrain with a dramatic, loosely rendered atmosphere, characteristic of his early historic works that blend realism with a theatrical sense of movement.

Commissioned by the Spanish government to document the war, Fortuny never completed the canvas fully. After his death, the unfinished piece entered the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, where it has been displayed as part of the museum’s 19th‑century Spanish collection.

A century later, Salvador Dalí produced his own version of *The Battle of Tetuan*, directly referencing Fortuny’s composition. Dalí’s reinterpretation underscores the lasting influence of Fortuny’s visual record on subsequent generations of Spanish artists.