Bonhams in London is set to put a series of celebrated Lebanese art pieces under the hammer. The sale is composed of turn-of-the-century works by pioneering artists that give a comprehensive picture (no pun intended) of the Levant country’s artistic heritage. The sale, supported by the British Lebanese Association (BLA), will offer pieces by the likes of Daoud Corm, Khalil Saleeby and Kahlil Gibran, as well as groundbreaking works by “modern masters” such as Saloua Choucair and Etel Adnan. In addition to the main auction, a segment of the works in the sale will be auctioned with 50 percent of the proceeds to benefit the British Lebanese Associations Scholarship Fund, which provides scholarships for graduates in Lebanon wishing to pursue a Master's degree in the UK.
"This event, which would not have been possible without our partner Bonhams, marks a quantum leap in the recognition of the importance of Lebanese artists on the international contemporary art scene," explained Sir David Richmond, chairman of the BLA. Bonhams' Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art specialist, Nima Sagharchi, added "Lebanon is experiencing a period of significant cultural revival despite the difficult circumstances it has faced. Our auction brings together some of the most important works from Lebanon's illustrious art movements and provides a new perspective on the contemporary cultural history of the country."
The Beirut City Center Egg
This piece by Ayman Baalbaki is expected to fetch up to GBP 100,000. The “egg” in question is the partially destroyed cinema complex built in the Brutalist style. The shelled-out building quickly became a monument of the civil war and a historic landmark in its own right. The artist's subjects are often war-torn buildings, and his painting of the instantly recognisable Egg is one of his largest and most iconic pieces.
Portrait of Mrs Alexander Morten
This portrait by Khalil Gibran (1883-1931) is a one of the most notable pieces in the artist’s collection. Unseen for 100 years, this is the first Gibran painting ever to be offered at auction, despite Gibran's first exhibition in New York in 1914, which included portraits of his friends W.B. Yeats, Auguste Rodin and Carl Jung. This painting disappeared shortly after and “the lost masterpiece” is estimated to be worth up to GBP30,000 Gibran was well-known for his prolific output of portraiture, and his wider oeuvre includes portraits of his friends W.B. Yeats, Auguste Rodin and Carl Jung.
Opera Garnier
Opera Garnier by Farid Aouad (1924 -82) has an estimated price tag of up to GBP60,000. It’s one of the largest and most prominent works by a Lebanese artist who is said to have been unappreciated during his lifetime. Aouad spent his later life living in Paris, experimenting with the techniques of the various schools that emerged there during the sixties and seventies. His work has been shown in museums across Lebanon and Europe.
Cela fait quarante jours (Portrait of Christine Abboud)
Shafic Abboud (1926-2004) is considered to be the father of Lebanese modernism and Lebanon's foremost abstract artist. He moved away from the traditions of Lebanese figurative and landscape painting early on in his career, and this portrait, estimated GBP50,000, is a rare semi-figurative work.
