Born in 1886, Jacques Majorelle is the son of Louis Majorelle, a famous cabinetmaker and co-founder of the Ecole de Nancy. He grew up in this artistic environment and his father encouraged him to follow in his footsteps by enrolling him in the architecture section of the Nancy Fine Arts School. But against his advice, the young man, who wished to devote himself to painting, moved to Paris where he attended the Jullian Academy. To complete his training, he spent time in Spain, Italy, and then Egypt where he lived from 1910 to 1914. He moved to Marrakech in 1917, counting on the improvement of his pulmonary health (he suffered from tuberculosis). He first settled in the medina, then in the villa Bou Saf-Saf, where he created a lush tropical garden. He explored the theme of kasbahs and, supported by Marshal Lyautey, quickly became famous. Exhibitions in galleries in France and Morocco were numerous. Majorelle also participated regularly in Salons. He made long trips to the south of Morocco from where he brought back many views. From 1928, he began to use the technique of gouache enhanced with metal (gold or silver), which had been taught to him by his grandfather, a decorative painter on furniture and earthenware. In the 1940s and 1950s, the painter traveled to Africa. He discovered Sudan, Senegal, Guinea and the Ivory Coast. He died in Paris in 1962.