Malula

Details

Louay Kayyali (Syrian, 1934-1978)
Malula
signed and dated 'Kayali 63' (lower left); signed, titled and dated in Arabic, signed, titled and dated 'Louay Kayali "Malula" 1963' (on the reverse)
oil on canvas
37¾ x 29 7/8in. (95.9 x 75.9cm.)
Painted in 1963

Provenance

Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner's mother circa early 1960s and thence by descent.

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

This work will be included in the forthcoming Louay Kayyali Catalogue raisonné currently being prepared by Hala Khayat.

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Lot Essay

The Tobler family's second acquisition was Malula. The present work is a rare rendition of the Syrian village's iconic landscape, depicted in an unusual white monochromatic palette as most of his other Malula works are painted in blue, grey and ochre hues. The palette here is spectacularly brightened by the chalky-white paint applied in patches, like the plaster on the walls in the village. With the mountain sheltering the village and the striking turquoise sky, the present depiction is undeniably one of the finest portrayals of the Syrian town and one of the greatest landscape paintings by the artist.

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