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'The challenge is to create this dynamic collection, so you have ten great pieces that you look at day and night, but what is your next challenge? Do you have the guts to start over and start again from scratch to find that fantastic piece to replace it? This is my character, this is me.' (Johnny Mokbel in conversation with Masa Al-Kutoubi, December 2014). Upon entering Johnny and Nadine Mokbel's Sursock residence in Beirut, the impressive and eclectic combination of Antiquities, Modern Lebanese paintings and works by Contemporary Lebanese artists that greet every visitor reveals the richness of Lebanese cultural heritage that the Mokbel Art Collection, as it has come to be known, intends to highlight. Although it would be easy to assume that Mokbel's dedication to Lebanese art stems from a level of nationalistic pride, it is however the fact that Lebanese art has a distinctive national character defined by a mixture of European, American, African and Middle Eastern influences, coupled with unique situations and experiences, that has generated a particular style of art which Mokbel continues to find tremendously fascinating. It was the acquisition of Paul Guiragossian's two paintings Personnages I and Personnages 2 (lots 4 and 5) in 1999 from the Guiragossian family at an art fair, that created an instant reaction, a sort of 'love at first sight' which ignited the passion for art that pushed Mokbel to amass one of the finest collections of over 100 paintings covering a century of Lebanese art including names by Shafic Abboud, Paul Guiragossian. Farid Aouad, Jamil Molaeb, Aref Al-Rayess, Ayman Baalbaki amongst many others. This auction season, Christie's has the honour to offer 14 pieces from the Mokbel Art Collection showcasing a deep-rooted quest and dedication to Lebanese Art of superlative quality, namely the mastery of Guiragossian, Al-Rayess, Aouad, Baalbaki and Darghouth. Although Johnny comes from a family that neither collected art nor appreciated art to the level that he has come to do so himself, it was a strict dedication following his first acquisition to slowly build his eye for works by reading, visiting museums and frequenting galleries and collectors who both taught and instructed him. At a time when many were investing their money into real estate and more 'stable' assets following the unrest of the Civil War in Lebanon, Johnny and Nadine chose to 'invest in colour' using their income to build what has become one of the most well-known and comprehensive collections of Lebanese art. Much of the Mokbel Art Collection's recognition has also come due to Johnny's willingness to share his full collection online. While most private collectors shun the idea of sharing any of their possessions within the public sphere, Mokbel has embraced it. Acknowledging the lack of museums and governmental support for the arts in Lebanon, the website thus publishes all the works in the Collection and any information about them so that anyone, either in the Middle East or internationally, may learn more about Lebanese art. Mokbel has also instigated and created the Art Collector's Society page and space on social media that has inspired a continuous dialogue, heightened interest and awareness in both Middle Eastern and International art, with several articles and discussions opened each week. It is a testament to Mokbel's aim to push the boundaries of the way people look at art, to highlight his deep passion and belief in the art he collects that is in fact inspiring to others. His aim is to push other collectors, other private households to share what they have in the same way he has opened his home (virtually) to the public. It is this courage and fearlessness that has allowed Johnny to wear many hats; collector, investor and businessman. His mentality and challenge as a collector is to always be free, to create a dynamic collection that changes and grows, with many entries of new works to the grouping, but also many departures. He believes it takes a lot of courage to be able to sell the pieces, which he has worked very hard to acquire, to start from scratch and maintain the same level of quality along the way. Although he is often seen as an investor in art, Mokbel stresses that he does not buy with an investment intention. He does not take chances and only buys what he likes. Whether in the long term it has given him a return is a welcomed result, but he believes that having the right and best pieces will continue to be appreciated for what they are. To this end in the same way that he is a self-made businessman outside of the art world, he applies the same principles of business to his approach in collecting art. What is key is Mokbel's insistence on acquiring art of only the best quality, the first-rate examples by the artists he has grown to love and appreciate. When looking for an artwork, Mokbel's first step is to admire the composition, colour palette, craftsmanship and balance. The artist's name is the last thing he considers as he must be drawn to the piece itself aside from just the brand so to speak. At the end of the day, he explains, 'not all Picasso paintings are of the same level! You have to find the right piece of work irrespective of the artist.' Mokbel thus looks for an excellent, well-balanced painting that can work well with the pieces in his collection. This strategy is reflected clearly in his selection of works, particularly in his vast grouping of Guiragossian's paintings and cements his quest for quality that reigns over quantity. Although a trained eye and courage or 'guts' as Mokbel likes to say are instrumental in building a collection of the finest quality, he is aware that money and budget can often add an additional challenge to acquiring new works. He allocates what he can to acquiring the first-rate pieces using his courage to decide and take a chance on paintings as opposed to conventional assets; 'If I have cash I would prefer to buy art than keep it in the bank, that is for sure. I am not afraid of buying colours,' he mentions, but also using it to make quick decisions. Mokbel insists that a seasoned collector must buy a painting he or she likes on the spot, the instant their mind is made up. Firstly because first instincts are usually the right ones but secondly because it is usually a rare opportunity that does not come along twice, there will always be someone who can make faster decisions and in the end he definitely does not want to be the one to miss out. 'You should never have a fear of buying art at any time,' he adds. Putting together a collection, searching for the right pieces is certainly not without other challenges. Mokbel repeatedly recounts the time and hard work invested into persuading private collectors to let go of their pieces, the countless trips back and forth, the patience needed to find the right piece and many other obstacles that have made the collection a whole-hearted family effort and affair. An accumulation of both Johnny and Nadine's heart, soul and trust in each other's instincts, they both believe the time has come for some of their pieces to move into other collectors' homes and wish to pass the torch onto others to develop stories and experiences of their own. As a result the collection has culminated in a selection in this season's auction in which each of the 14 works impart clearly the sense of quality, confidence and care that Mokbel prides himself on. Highlights include Paul Guiragossian's Automne which is a rare example of the artist's single use of colour; Aref Al-Rayess' Jeddah (Shatek Al Hadi) an extraordinary example of the artist's work from the period he was working in Saudi Arabia; Farid Aouad's Homo Flux, which is the first large canvas to ever be offered at auction and Ayman Baalbaki's towering and impressive Babel offering a commentary on Lebanese socio-political sensitivities. PROPERTY FROM THE MOKBEL ART COLLECTION

Paul Guiragossian (Lebanese, 1926-1993)

L'Et(The Summer)

Details

Paul Guiragossian (Lebanese, 1926-1993)
L'Et(The Summer)
signed 'PAUL.G.' (lower centre)
acrylic on paper
39 3/8 x 27½in. (100 x 70cm.)
Painted in 1992

Provenance

Artist's Estate.
Acquired from the above by the present owner.

Literature

L.D., "Dans l'antre d'un collectionneur" in Femme Magazine Hors Série, October 2010 (illustrated in colour, p. 40).

Special notice

Lots are subject to 5% import Duty on the importation value (low estimate) levied at the time of collection shipment within UAE. For UAE buyers, please note that duty is paid at origin (Dubai) and not in the importing country. As such, duty paid in Dubai is treated as final duty payment. It is the buyer's responsibility to ascertain and pay all taxes due.

Further details

The Paul Guiragossian Foundation, Beirut, has kindly confirmed the authenticity of this work. We would like to thank the Paul Guiragossian Foundation for their assistance in researching this painting.

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Lot Essay

'Look at how awesome the human form is. Break it, tear it apart, squash it and it will remain beautiful.'
(Paul Guiragossian quoted in The Paul Guiragossian Foundation, S. Bardaouil and T. Fellrath, Paul Guiragossian: The Human Condition, Beirut 2013, p. 28).

In the works of Modern master Paul Guiragossian, the viewer is overwhelmed by the richness of his expression and the massive production that his obsession with the past and absence has generated. His works express the human condition through renderings of vertical, elongated, purged bodies, both static and in motion, painted with thick layers of often very luminous colours. His line drawings exhibit masterful renderings of gesture with fluid outlines of clothed figures, while his paintings reckon human form through thick, elongated brush strokes. In L'Et(The Summer), Guiragossian uses the composition of long vertical brush strokes to seek a balance between an Expressionist touch capturing emotional movements punctuated by the vivid rhythm of tenderly curved lines.

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