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Lot Essay
Further to their discovery of Louay Kayyali Flowers (lot 45) and Malula (lot 46) and to the artist's success within the high Syrian society, the Tobler family commissioned two portraits that are typical of the artist's fine portrayal of everyday people.
The portrait of Marie Tobler, is delicate and intriguing. As a mid-age seductive and prosperous American, Mrs. Tobler distinguishes herself from the typical women of her time. Kayyali's depiction of her reveals a sense of informality, as if to allude to the woman's freedom and intellectual liberation. Mrs. Tobler, like her son, represents America in all its glory, she impersonates the land of dreams and opportunity and stands proud, like an independent Citizen of the world.
While Kayyali often used bold black lines to depict his sitters, here he uses a soft palette and delicate brushstrokes and depicts the sitter in all her grandeur and pride. Evidently from the upper bourgeoisie, the sitter appears confident, strong and eminently feminine. The present work is a daring portrayal of a freethinking woman living in Syria in the 1960s.
The portrait of Marie Tobler, is delicate and intriguing. As a mid-age seductive and prosperous American, Mrs. Tobler distinguishes herself from the typical women of her time. Kayyali's depiction of her reveals a sense of informality, as if to allude to the woman's freedom and intellectual liberation. Mrs. Tobler, like her son, represents America in all its glory, she impersonates the land of dreams and opportunity and stands proud, like an independent Citizen of the world.
While Kayyali often used bold black lines to depict his sitters, here he uses a soft palette and delicate brushstrokes and depicts the sitter in all her grandeur and pride. Evidently from the upper bourgeoisie, the sitter appears confident, strong and eminently feminine. The present work is a daring portrayal of a freethinking woman living in Syria in the 1960s.