Upper Egypt Art by Egyptians
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Upper Egypt Art by Egyptians
Modern Egyptian painters generally haven’t come from Upper Egypt, except for the new generation of brilliant Luxor graffitists, and therefore most paintings of Luxor are either of the standard European David Roberts school or by Western painters from elsewhere. Other posts have covered this sentimental/made for Westerners genre.
However, in the 20’s and 30’s a new school of Egyptian painters emerged who painted Egypt and Luxor in a modern way completely up to date with all the innovations elsewhere.
Here are some examples from both local and Egyptian painters and sculptors focusing on Luxor region scenes and themes or just with an Upper Egypt connection:
If your tastes are aristocratic and traditional maybe Mahmoud Said (d 1964) will appeal. An Alexandrian judge, cousin to Queen Farid and with subject matter from prostitutes to muscular Egyptian males. Here are a couple of his Luxor paintings:
Sunset on the Nile 1945 which sold for about $US1 million:
And another probably depicting a scene in Upper Egypt in the 1930’s:
A neo-Pharonic painting from 1940 by Shaaban Zaki, almost unique in this period in coming from humble circumstances: ‘the Guardian of the Temple in Luxor”:
It’s a loose connection to Luxor, but a striking painting by Fathi Hassan (b1957). Long resident in Italy, from a Sudanese background but with a mother from Toshka – the only good thing ever to come out of Toshka:
The Met in NYC collect him but not in Egypt.
Another, but, contemporary Luxor resident artist is Eiad Orbay who also graduated from the excellent local Fine Arts Faculty. He is featured by Saatchi art https://www.saatchiart.com/eiadoraby1 which might explain why he gets no local recognition. No success should go unpunished. An example is:
Interestingly he exhibited at Luxor galleries: Marsam Abdelrasol, Luxor Fine Arts, and Waset Art and Culture. Are any of them still operating?
A further graduate of the local Fine Arts school, who now lives in Cairo, is Ahmed Abdel fattah. A striking painting with a possible local theme and in an un-nostalgic style is:
Farid Fadel was born in 1958 in Assuit, Upper Egypt, into a family noted for both its musicians and its doctors. He has since excelled at medicine, art and music. He has held 34 solo art exhibitions, has given prominent music recitals and concerts, obtained his M.Sc. in Ophthalmology, and is presently working as a practicing eye doctor at the Memorial Institute of Ophthalmology, Giza.
In 1973, Dr. Fadel was awarded the Pope's Medal and Vatican Award. In 1975, the Egyptian Parliament awarded him a trip to Italy to see Renaissance art. In 2000, Dr. Fadel traveled with his exhibition "On Both Sides" to the USA. Fadel is probably a Christian and, almost uniquely in modern Egyptian art, his paintings contain Christian themes.
A more conventional view from an earlier generation is Mohammed Sabry (Egyptian, b. 1917) and his 1966 view of the Nile at Luxor which sold well at Christies:
He painted extensively at Luxor.
His conventional views extended to politics where he was a minor art propagandist for Nasser.
George Bahgory was a Copt born in Luxor in 1932, trained in Cairo and has spent most of his life in France and swung between Picasso and political cartoon. Here is a caraciature of a noted singer:
a more serious portrait is:
He is still a cartoonist for al Ahram.
In Aswan the sculptor, Adam Henein, b 1929, has established the annual International Sculpture Symposium. His works are far from tourist clichés:
Also painting in Aswan, but from Alex, was Hussein Bicar d 2002, here is his Fellanha in Aswan from the 80’s.
A female painter active in Upper Egypt was Tahia Halim d 2003 and this is her The Happiness of Nubia from 1965
For those visting Cairo there is a (not very good) Egyptian Modern Art Museum in the Opera House Complex on Zamalek. A not very good description of the Museum is at: http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/artmuseum.htm. It might be open but others have reported that it was closed for maintenance, together with the nearby the Hanager Arts Centre and the Palace of Arts. Google says it is open but Trip Advisor says it is closed. There is also a Port Said, Museum of Modern Art in Egypt. Its new, built on a grand scale and closed. Other modern art galleries, including commercial galleries in Cairo are profiled at https://theculturetrip.com/africa/egypt ... d-museums/
In Giza on the Nile the privately established Mohammed Mahmoud Khalil Museum, expropriated by the government, houses modern Egyptian art and minor French impressionists paintings by Renoir, Monet and van Gogh. It holds the world record for having had the same painting, a van Gogh, stolen twice and regular thefts of other paintings. If its open it keeps it very quiet. It is located due west of the northern tip of Manial Island. http://www.sis.gov.eg/Story/1269?lang=en-us
Also in Giza is the Mohamed Nagy Museum donated to the nation by the famous painter and his artist wife. It appears to be permanently closed.
The Museum of Saad El-Khadem and Effat Nagy (sister to the above) located in Sarrayat El-Kobba, Cairo, devoted to modern Egyptian art and again privately donated to the nation was open in 2011 but I think now closed. https://dailynewsegypt.com/2011/01/21/p ... spiration/. The Ahmed Shawki Museum (music and poetry) in Giza is also likely closed, as are the Greco-Roman in Alex., the el Gawhara (Jewel) Palace in the Citadel, (probably) the Mukhtar (modern) Sculpture Museum, Zamalek, the Qasr Al-Eini Museum opened in 1999 which allegedly holds an original of the Description de l’Egypt worth millions is also probably closed and the Alexandria Museum of Fine Arts in the Moharam Bek neighborhood, again a private donation, allegedly exists after an alleged renovation which finished around 2013.
I suspect that Gurna isn’t the only place in Egypt looted.
A modern commercial gallery in Zamalek which specializes in Egyptian art from the 20’s onwards is http://safarkhan.com/ContactUs.aspx
A brief history of modern Egyptian painting since the 1920’s by the Met. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/egma/hd_egma.htm
However, in the 20’s and 30’s a new school of Egyptian painters emerged who painted Egypt and Luxor in a modern way completely up to date with all the innovations elsewhere.
Here are some examples from both local and Egyptian painters and sculptors focusing on Luxor region scenes and themes or just with an Upper Egypt connection:
If your tastes are aristocratic and traditional maybe Mahmoud Said (d 1964) will appeal. An Alexandrian judge, cousin to Queen Farid and with subject matter from prostitutes to muscular Egyptian males. Here are a couple of his Luxor paintings:
Sunset on the Nile 1945 which sold for about $US1 million:
And another probably depicting a scene in Upper Egypt in the 1930’s:
A neo-Pharonic painting from 1940 by Shaaban Zaki, almost unique in this period in coming from humble circumstances: ‘the Guardian of the Temple in Luxor”:
It’s a loose connection to Luxor, but a striking painting by Fathi Hassan (b1957). Long resident in Italy, from a Sudanese background but with a mother from Toshka – the only good thing ever to come out of Toshka:
The Met in NYC collect him but not in Egypt.
Another, but, contemporary Luxor resident artist is Eiad Orbay who also graduated from the excellent local Fine Arts Faculty. He is featured by Saatchi art https://www.saatchiart.com/eiadoraby1 which might explain why he gets no local recognition. No success should go unpunished. An example is:
Interestingly he exhibited at Luxor galleries: Marsam Abdelrasol, Luxor Fine Arts, and Waset Art and Culture. Are any of them still operating?
A further graduate of the local Fine Arts school, who now lives in Cairo, is Ahmed Abdel fattah. A striking painting with a possible local theme and in an un-nostalgic style is:
Farid Fadel was born in 1958 in Assuit, Upper Egypt, into a family noted for both its musicians and its doctors. He has since excelled at medicine, art and music. He has held 34 solo art exhibitions, has given prominent music recitals and concerts, obtained his M.Sc. in Ophthalmology, and is presently working as a practicing eye doctor at the Memorial Institute of Ophthalmology, Giza.
In 1973, Dr. Fadel was awarded the Pope's Medal and Vatican Award. In 1975, the Egyptian Parliament awarded him a trip to Italy to see Renaissance art. In 2000, Dr. Fadel traveled with his exhibition "On Both Sides" to the USA. Fadel is probably a Christian and, almost uniquely in modern Egyptian art, his paintings contain Christian themes.
A more conventional view from an earlier generation is Mohammed Sabry (Egyptian, b. 1917) and his 1966 view of the Nile at Luxor which sold well at Christies:
He painted extensively at Luxor.
His conventional views extended to politics where he was a minor art propagandist for Nasser.
George Bahgory was a Copt born in Luxor in 1932, trained in Cairo and has spent most of his life in France and swung between Picasso and political cartoon. Here is a caraciature of a noted singer:
a more serious portrait is:
He is still a cartoonist for al Ahram.
In Aswan the sculptor, Adam Henein, b 1929, has established the annual International Sculpture Symposium. His works are far from tourist clichés:
Also painting in Aswan, but from Alex, was Hussein Bicar d 2002, here is his Fellanha in Aswan from the 80’s.
A female painter active in Upper Egypt was Tahia Halim d 2003 and this is her The Happiness of Nubia from 1965
For those visting Cairo there is a (not very good) Egyptian Modern Art Museum in the Opera House Complex on Zamalek. A not very good description of the Museum is at: http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/artmuseum.htm. It might be open but others have reported that it was closed for maintenance, together with the nearby the Hanager Arts Centre and the Palace of Arts. Google says it is open but Trip Advisor says it is closed. There is also a Port Said, Museum of Modern Art in Egypt. Its new, built on a grand scale and closed. Other modern art galleries, including commercial galleries in Cairo are profiled at https://theculturetrip.com/africa/egypt ... d-museums/
In Giza on the Nile the privately established Mohammed Mahmoud Khalil Museum, expropriated by the government, houses modern Egyptian art and minor French impressionists paintings by Renoir, Monet and van Gogh. It holds the world record for having had the same painting, a van Gogh, stolen twice and regular thefts of other paintings. If its open it keeps it very quiet. It is located due west of the northern tip of Manial Island. http://www.sis.gov.eg/Story/1269?lang=en-us
Also in Giza is the Mohamed Nagy Museum donated to the nation by the famous painter and his artist wife. It appears to be permanently closed.
The Museum of Saad El-Khadem and Effat Nagy (sister to the above) located in Sarrayat El-Kobba, Cairo, devoted to modern Egyptian art and again privately donated to the nation was open in 2011 but I think now closed. https://dailynewsegypt.com/2011/01/21/p ... spiration/. The Ahmed Shawki Museum (music and poetry) in Giza is also likely closed, as are the Greco-Roman in Alex., the el Gawhara (Jewel) Palace in the Citadel, (probably) the Mukhtar (modern) Sculpture Museum, Zamalek, the Qasr Al-Eini Museum opened in 1999 which allegedly holds an original of the Description de l’Egypt worth millions is also probably closed and the Alexandria Museum of Fine Arts in the Moharam Bek neighborhood, again a private donation, allegedly exists after an alleged renovation which finished around 2013.
I suspect that Gurna isn’t the only place in Egypt looted.
A modern commercial gallery in Zamalek which specializes in Egyptian art from the 20’s onwards is http://safarkhan.com/ContactUs.aspx
A brief history of modern Egyptian painting since the 1920’s by the Met. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/egma/hd_egma.htm
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Re: Upper Egypt Art by Egyptians
Thank you, Hafiz, for such an interesting post. It's good to be distracted from Egypt's current woes.
The only artist I recognise is Mahmoud Said. I tried to visit his eponymous museum during a rain-drenched visit to Alexandria.....but it was closed at the time. Incidentally, I think he was an uncle of Queen Farida, rather than cousin.
Perhaps there is an artist gene in the Said family. Farida took up painting after Farouk divorced her and she ended up in Paris. Here she is in her studio. She exhibited her work in US, Europe...and Cairo
Back to Mahmoud Said.....I'd be very happy to have one of his paintings on my wall....although I'd have to do some haggling to afford one His "Whirling Dervishes" was sold by Christies for US$ 2.5 million.
I don't know about his penchant for prostitutes or muscular males....he certainly liked to portray the semi-clothed female which, but for his aristocratic connections, would have been an issue in conservative Egypt. I imagine, nowadays, the state censors would be on him like a ton of bricks.
My good friend Wael Nour is a Luxor water colourist and is carrying on the tradition of Egyptian painters. Maybe not in the same class as the greats mentioned by Hafiz....but I'm sure he'd be delighted to sell you one of his modestly-priced Luxor scenes
http://luxor-news.blogspot.com.eg/2016/ ... lours.html
The only artist I recognise is Mahmoud Said. I tried to visit his eponymous museum during a rain-drenched visit to Alexandria.....but it was closed at the time. Incidentally, I think he was an uncle of Queen Farida, rather than cousin.
Perhaps there is an artist gene in the Said family. Farida took up painting after Farouk divorced her and she ended up in Paris. Here she is in her studio. She exhibited her work in US, Europe...and Cairo
Back to Mahmoud Said.....I'd be very happy to have one of his paintings on my wall....although I'd have to do some haggling to afford one His "Whirling Dervishes" was sold by Christies for US$ 2.5 million.
I don't know about his penchant for prostitutes or muscular males....he certainly liked to portray the semi-clothed female which, but for his aristocratic connections, would have been an issue in conservative Egypt. I imagine, nowadays, the state censors would be on him like a ton of bricks.
My good friend Wael Nour is a Luxor water colourist and is carrying on the tradition of Egyptian painters. Maybe not in the same class as the greats mentioned by Hafiz....but I'm sure he'd be delighted to sell you one of his modestly-priced Luxor scenes
http://luxor-news.blogspot.com.eg/2016/ ... lours.html
Last edited by newcastle on Sun Jul 16, 2017 9:15 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Upper Egypt Art by Egyptians
The end of year display of students work at the art college in Luxor is always brilliant, a lot of talent out there.
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Re: Upper Egypt Art by Egyptians
Never really been into ''art,'' but I did like these two sections.
Life is your's to do with as you wish- do not let other's try to control it for you. Count Dusak- 1345.
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Re: Upper Egypt Art by Egyptians
Thanks so much Hafiz and newcastle. When I have time I will investigate further, though some are familiar. I have bought some lovely watercolours by a local artist from Habiba in the souk.
Carpe diem!
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Re: Upper Egypt Art by Egyptians
Thanks Hafiz, very interesting. I absolutely love the tree by Ahmed Abdel Fattah.
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Re: Upper Egypt Art by Egyptians
Farid Fadel is one of my favourites. I have a collection of his paintings - alas not for real but stored on the computer.
I saw this one of the boy flying a kite at around the same time as I read Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner, and flying kites is a happy childhood memory for me, so it conjures up all sorts of feelings and emotions whenever I look at it.
This one simply reminds me of Luxor.
I saw this one of the boy flying a kite at around the same time as I read Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner, and flying kites is a happy childhood memory for me, so it conjures up all sorts of feelings and emotions whenever I look at it.
This one simply reminds me of Luxor.
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Re: Upper Egypt Art by Egyptians
Although like Dusak art is not really me, I do like landscapes especially when today I can stand exactly where the artist in question stood to produce his or her master piece. There are however two pictures that Hafiz here has kindly produced for us today, not just for the accurate reproduction of the THEN landscape, but how the artists have captured the morning sunrise light. The two pictures are,.......
1) The tree picture, which is certainly a bay tree, they were quite common on hotel roof gardens long before the modern Thomson type hotels were built in Luxor. The question is which hotel did the artist craft this wonderful picture. Not the old Mina Palace Hotel or for that matter the long lost Savoy.
The second ridge to the right of the tree in the distant hills is The Gern, the only hotel roof garden that this could possibly have been painted from, is still standing today, it is the well hidden old Merryland Hotel. I have in the distant past written about this old place, it's roof has the best possible view than anywhere else in Luxor even today, the best time is perhaps one hour before sunset.
2) I am still trying to work out exactly where the other picture was painted, I certainly recognise the place, but one thing for sure it is no where near Luxor,.........will give it further thought. The picture in question is again part of Hafiz's collection, being the second below showing two sailing felucca's, with a grassed back ground.
1) The tree picture, which is certainly a bay tree, they were quite common on hotel roof gardens long before the modern Thomson type hotels were built in Luxor. The question is which hotel did the artist craft this wonderful picture. Not the old Mina Palace Hotel or for that matter the long lost Savoy.
The second ridge to the right of the tree in the distant hills is The Gern, the only hotel roof garden that this could possibly have been painted from, is still standing today, it is the well hidden old Merryland Hotel. I have in the distant past written about this old place, it's roof has the best possible view than anywhere else in Luxor even today, the best time is perhaps one hour before sunset.
2) I am still trying to work out exactly where the other picture was painted, I certainly recognise the place, but one thing for sure it is no where near Luxor,.........will give it further thought. The picture in question is again part of Hafiz's collection, being the second below showing two sailing felucca's, with a grassed back ground.
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Re: Upper Egypt Art by Egyptians
Doesn't have to be an exact copy of the landscape A Four, artistic licence and all that, after all David Roberts didn't paint exact copies of what he saw.
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Re: Upper Egypt Art by Egyptians
That's true Carrie, but the detail that the artist has obtained of those hills on the WB, is known to me very well, even today, though unlike buildings and trees etc, it takes a long time to change. The artist certainly would not have been able to obtain such detail at street level.carrie wrote:Doesn't have to be an exact copy of the landscape A Four, artistic licence and all that, after all David Roberts didn't paint exact copies of what he saw.
I know I'm sounding a bit awkward on this point Carrie but for years I have been able to enjoy this view when ever I have wanted to, even without buying a drink there,........I wonder if the old waiter still works there his name was/is called George.
A similar view can now be got from the hotel across the small cul-de-sac road known as The Windsor since they increased the floors of that hotel some 25 years ago,......the orange juice cost more there though. .
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Re: Upper Egypt Art by Egyptians
I suppose what I am trying to say her Carrie is that, John Constable painted Salisbury Cathedral several times during his life, each time he painted it, from what ever angle, the structure was painted as accurately as possible, being that he will be judged on how his picture will be viewed throughout history. With regards its surroundings trees etc, well one might be expected to use a little artistic license there.A-Four wrote:That's true Carrie, but the detail that the artist has obtained of those hills on the WB, is known to me very well, even today, though unlike buildings and trees etc, it takes a long time to change. The artist certainly would not have been able to obtain such detail at street level.carrie wrote:Doesn't have to be an exact copy of the landscape A Four, artistic licence and all that, after all David Roberts didn't paint exact copies of what he saw.
For myself from the position I have stated above the Thebian Hills are quite accurate, it is of course only the old ferry in the fore ground that dates the picture some what.
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Re: Upper Egypt Art by Egyptians
Interesting! Assuming we are looking at the same creamish blur on the left, I took it to be [indistinct] buildings and not the ferry. Whatever it is seems to be on the bank rather than the river.A-Four wrote:
For myself from the position I have stated above the Thebian Hills are quite accurate, it is of course only the old ferry in the fore ground that dates the picture some what.
That does not change the dual interest of the fore and backgrounds, but does illustrate how we all view things differently even though what is before us is exactly the same.
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Re: Upper Egypt Art by Egyptians
Here are a couple more Farid Fadel paintings.
I believe this one is a self portrait.
This one is another favourite as it reminds me again so much of the homes of friends in Luxor.
I believe this one is a self portrait.
This one is another favourite as it reminds me again so much of the homes of friends in Luxor.
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Re: Upper Egypt Art by Egyptians
Looking more carefully perhaps you may be right, however I find it difficult to believe a building of that size would be on Ramla. Another reason could be that artist here was at work on this picture before the High Dam, when the Nile in flood reached a hight that the ferry docked very near to the old Gazerra Hotel. Then again this could have been at low Nile, and a small island is exposed in front of the said ferry, who knows,..........I'm going along with Carrie on the artistic licence idea,.......... .HEPZIBAH wrote:Interesting! Assuming we are looking at the same creamish blur on the left, I took it to be [indistinct] buildings and not the ferry. Whatever it is seems to be on the bank rather than the river.A-Four wrote:
For myself from the position I have stated above the Thebian Hills are quite accurate, it is of course only the old ferry in the fore ground that dates the picture some what.
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Re: Upper Egypt Art by Egyptians
Having now given this second picture a little thought, I am certain it is a painting produced in Asswan. To the right where you see boats moored along the river bank, I believe this to be Kitchener Island, or as it's known today as the Botanical Gardens, or Island of Tree's, as its known in the Arabic language. For all those who have visited here are dropped off one kilometre further down river, then picked up at the point I mention here.A-Four wrote: 2) I am still trying to work out exactly where the other picture was painted, I certainly recognise the place, but one thing for sure it is no where near Luxor,.........will give it further thought. The picture in question is again part of Hafiz's collection, being the second below showing two sailing felucca's, with a grassed back ground.
To the extreme right' though out of shot, up in the hills is the tomb of Sir Sultan Mohamed Shah 48th Aga Khan and the Begum. Directly in front is a grassed area, this is an island exposed only at low Nile. It is this island that was used by the Greeks and Romans to calculate taxation rather than the old Nilometre that had become a poor barometer in that, then more modern era.
The desert land beyond, the grassed island, is in fact another island, known today for the famous Isis Island Hotel, which would have been on the eastern side, so again out of shot. built by Germal Mubarak, then passed on to his brother, now, I understand owned by the Egyptian Government.
Where we see moored boats to the right of the picture, I believe this to be Elephantine Island, therefore around the corner to the left, in the distance we would see The Old Cataract Hotel, perched up on a hill.
The only thing that I see that may have been given (Carrie's) artistic licence here, are the buildings in the distant right hand side mainland. The artist here wants us to believe this to be the 'Nubian' village, when in reality this was much further to the South. This position I believe would have been the home of the Begum of the old Aga Khan, until she died, the place had a fantastic, though hidden from sight, swimming pool. What has happened to this place now, I know not.
Well, that's my opinion anyhow. .
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Re: Upper Egypt Art by Egyptians
Can't see that being right A Four, Kitcheners Island is behind the island on which what used to be the Movenpick Hotel, the one with the concrete monstrosity in the middle, Isis Island with the hotel on is much further away and Elephantine is between.
Where ever it is though it's a beautiful painting.
Where ever it is though it's a beautiful painting.
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Re: Upper Egypt Art by Egyptians
When I first saw the painting that I believe A-Four is referring to, I assumed that it was a scene taken from the East Bank looking West. My thoughts were that it was one of the inlets/channels around [one of the] banana Island. If it is where I'm thinking there is now a causeway built up between the actual east bank and the island. Wherever it is, I don't think it is Aswan.
My curiosity got the better of me and I decided to do a quick search for the artist. It immediately led me to this photograph of a painting at Christies - sorry you will have to use the link as I can't copy the photograph from the source.
https://onlineonly.christies.com/s/mode ... r-231/9765
This would appear to be the same location, or very close to it, as the painting in Hafiz's post.
My curiosity got the better of me and I decided to do a quick search for the artist. It immediately led me to this photograph of a painting at Christies - sorry you will have to use the link as I can't copy the photograph from the source.
https://onlineonly.christies.com/s/mode ... r-231/9765
This would appear to be the same location, or very close to it, as the painting in Hafiz's post.
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Re: Upper Egypt Art by Egyptians
I've just realised that the link I gave above was for a sale of Modern Contemporary Arab and Turkish Art. There are a number of pieces by Egyptian artists, following many different styles.
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Re: Upper Egypt Art by Egyptians
Mohammed Sabry painted similar scenes...usually described as "The Nile in Luxor"
Add the Aga Kham mausoleum and, hey presto, you have Aswan
Carrie's right of course...a lot of artistic licence going on.
A photo for comparison :
I think we can agree the river is the Nile....otherwise the background is largely the artist's impression.
Add the Aga Kham mausoleum and, hey presto, you have Aswan
Carrie's right of course...a lot of artistic licence going on.
A photo for comparison :
I think we can agree the river is the Nile....otherwise the background is largely the artist's impression.
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Re: Upper Egypt Art by Egyptians
I agree that its probably not the Luxor area I never thought it was – principally because of what appears to be rock facing to the river bank which, I think, is untypical of the Luxor area. In any case Newcastle now makes a conclusive case.
I posted it as 'Luxor' based on the best authority in the world – a famous London auction house which took over 30% of its sale price for putting its stamp of authority on authenticity, provenance and accurate description.
Confirms my view, based on having worked for one of them, that its always caveat emptor, and agents with posh accents are no more reliable than West Bank gangsters.
There is quite a trade in 30’s and 40’s modernistic Middle East art at the moment and a lot of it going to one or two very rich Gulf collectors/dealers who seem to be on something of a scatter-gun buying spree. Lets hope that they have as sharp eyes for mis-description as fellow posters . http://www.salsalipm.com/ or http://www.barjeelartfoundation.org/
BTW – the preservation of modern oils on canvas in Egypt is a thankless task so the long term survival of these Egyptian paintings must be in doubt. Their ‘professional’ display arrangements in Cairo confirms this. Maybe they should move the oils to Alex – or install an ac/humidifier system. On the other hand I think that water colors do well in a dry environment – but well away from sunlight.
I posted it as 'Luxor' based on the best authority in the world – a famous London auction house which took over 30% of its sale price for putting its stamp of authority on authenticity, provenance and accurate description.
Confirms my view, based on having worked for one of them, that its always caveat emptor, and agents with posh accents are no more reliable than West Bank gangsters.
There is quite a trade in 30’s and 40’s modernistic Middle East art at the moment and a lot of it going to one or two very rich Gulf collectors/dealers who seem to be on something of a scatter-gun buying spree. Lets hope that they have as sharp eyes for mis-description as fellow posters . http://www.salsalipm.com/ or http://www.barjeelartfoundation.org/
BTW – the preservation of modern oils on canvas in Egypt is a thankless task so the long term survival of these Egyptian paintings must be in doubt. Their ‘professional’ display arrangements in Cairo confirms this. Maybe they should move the oils to Alex – or install an ac/humidifier system. On the other hand I think that water colors do well in a dry environment – but well away from sunlight.
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