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Lot Essay
This present lot is an early masterpiece of Fateh Moudarres, among the most celebrated of Syrian artists. Although untitled, the setting of this work is the quite clearly the city Damascus. The striped patterning is immediately reminiscent of the walls of Mamluk buildings in Damascus, constructed in the ablaq technique, with alternate courses of black basalt and lighter stones of beige and ochre. Here the stripes appear on the bodies of the figures in the crowd, so these figures are merged with the fabric of the city.
Dominating the painting from the far left is the Beast, here shown as a ravenous dog. Moudarres often said that he used to have nightmares of the beast. Growing up in the prairies in northern Syria, Moudarres dreamt that a beast that would come and devour him at night. The tale of the Beast comes from children's stories, and Moudarres adapted it and used it in many of his compositions.
The present lot, painted in 1967, was discussed in an interview with the artist in the book by Samar Hamarneh. She asked him about the impact of the 5 June 1967.
Moudarres replied " The legendary beasts started visiting my paintings after the events of 1967.. The war of 1967 revealed the curtains on the tragedy that the Arab nation was living. This is how this war invited the beasts to penetrate my life..."
Dominating the painting from the far left is the Beast, here shown as a ravenous dog. Moudarres often said that he used to have nightmares of the beast. Growing up in the prairies in northern Syria, Moudarres dreamt that a beast that would come and devour him at night. The tale of the Beast comes from children's stories, and Moudarres adapted it and used it in many of his compositions.
The present lot, painted in 1967, was discussed in an interview with the artist in the book by Samar Hamarneh. She asked him about the impact of the 5 June 1967.
Moudarres replied " The legendary beasts started visiting my paintings after the events of 1967.. The war of 1967 revealed the curtains on the tragedy that the Arab nation was living. This is how this war invited the beasts to penetrate my life..."