In the Spring of 1870, Tiffany traveled with fellow artist Swain Gifford to Egypt and North Africa, which provided important source material for his painting. Snake Charmer at Tangier, Africa, one of the first oils from his visit, admirably evokes this exotic culture. Ostensibly presenting a slice of street life in Tangier, the canvas evokes a sense of mystery in its depiction of the snake charmer holding two writhing snakes performing with seated musicians and a group of figures partially obscured by deep shadows, looking on from the left background. The picture's rich palette of earth tones—deep browns and golds—reveals the influence of George Inness and Tiffany's keen interest in color and light. The painting was exhibited in a New York gallery in September of 1872 and was later among the orientalist canvases that Tiffany displayed at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia.