Reimagined artwork

A richly atmospheric reconstruction of an old Tetouan marketplace.

The narrow architectural passages, merchants, pedestrians, stalls, textiles, goods, and layered buildings are transformed into a detailed historical scene that feels lived-in rather than staged.

The original etching becomes the foundation, while the reimagining expands the visual world with greater architectural detail, human activity, texture, and color.

What it represents

The souk as a social ecosystem: commerce, craftsmanship, exchange, movement, encounters, and everyday Moroccan life.

What caught my eye

The thing that attracted me was the density of the marketplace — the feeling that every doorway, stall, person, and object contains another story.

Unlike THE THRONE, which represents Morocco from the perspective of power, THE SOUK represents Morocco at street level.

McBey's work specifically depicts El Soko, the large marketplace in Tetouan, making it an especially strong source for this chapter.