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Lot Essay
Considered as one of the most important masters of Palestinian art, Ismail Shammout's artistic role was shaped by his own history, which reflects hardship, tales of forced exodus and a deep-rooted dedication to his homeland. Born under the British Mandate of Palestine, Ismail Shammout and his family were amongst the 25,000 residents of Lydda who were expelled from their homes by Israeli forces in 1948 and were relocated to the Gaza refugee camp of Khan Younis. Looking for an escape from the harsh circumstances he found himself in, Shammout moved to neighbouring Egypt and then Rome to study art. Upon his return to Gaza three years later, he established himself as a distinguished painter and activist. After pursuing his studies further in Rome, he settled in Beirut where he joined the Palestine Liberation Organization as the Director of Arts and National Culture in 1965, while also holding the positions of Secretary General of the Union of Palestinian Artists and Secretary General of the Union of Arab Artists. Additionally, he established Art in Palestine, one of the first English-language publications on Palestinian art. After the Israeli invasion of Beirut in 1981, Shammout then relocated to Kuwait, where he was once again forced to leave in the wake of the Gulf War. He finally settled in Amman until his untimely death.
Known for incorporating local folklore and history in portrayals of Palestinian women and children amidst scenes of conflict and expulsion, Shammout's Expressionist style of painting became vital to Palestinian visual culture, thereby influencing generations of artists seeking to articulate their collective narrative.
The present lot Nahnou bi Kheir, Taminouna (We are in Good Health, Reassure us) from 1976, is seminal example from the artist's earlier works. Shammout's raw depiction of the Palestinian refugee experience was a recurring motif in his paintings and as such the present work illustrates a Palestinian refugee family in a typical Gaza residence, cramped in their present dwelling. Filled with Palestinian symbolism, Shammout illustrates the determination of his people to regain their homeland through symbolic references borrowed from verbal images that he introduces in his painting's title. The title itself was a common phrase in the days of telegrams that became a signature sign off for Arabic radio programmes in the 1960s and 1970s, particular for people in war zones such as Palestine, that listed names of the families or individuals who wanted to reassure their relatives of their safety.
With this in mind, Shammout captures a seemingly widowed mother, like countless others, who has inherited the responsibility of solely caring for her family. She is proudly dressed in traditional Palestinian attire and is flanked by her three young children who are clinging to her. While the children seem timid and lost, the mother's expression is blank, subtly insinuating the suffering that she has already experienced in her lifetime. In the background, an elderly couple is forlornly in mourning. The walls are adorned with portraits of family members presumably both dead and alive and religious Islamic relics. While each member of the family is absorbed in their own emotion, there is an undeniable sense of unity and defiance. The artist has utilised deep, rich colours to uniquely achieve the sense of simultaneous tragedy yet tranquillity.
Returning only once to his hometown, he faced the reality that it was now part of Israel, a revelation that changed him forever. This painfully dramatic experience was reflected in many of his paintings and influenced his entire style and career. His dreams of returning home one day were shattered and forever bound him to his continuous struggle of representing Palestine in his artworks.
Ismail Shammout has long been recognised as one of Palestine's leading modernist painters, whose prominent style employs familiar symbols of Palestinian traditions and culture. He expressed the entirety of his emotions, shared by all Palestinians, through his paintings, making his works not only technically and aesthetically beautiful, but deeply passionate and emotional as well.
Known for incorporating local folklore and history in portrayals of Palestinian women and children amidst scenes of conflict and expulsion, Shammout's Expressionist style of painting became vital to Palestinian visual culture, thereby influencing generations of artists seeking to articulate their collective narrative.
The present lot Nahnou bi Kheir, Taminouna (We are in Good Health, Reassure us) from 1976, is seminal example from the artist's earlier works. Shammout's raw depiction of the Palestinian refugee experience was a recurring motif in his paintings and as such the present work illustrates a Palestinian refugee family in a typical Gaza residence, cramped in their present dwelling. Filled with Palestinian symbolism, Shammout illustrates the determination of his people to regain their homeland through symbolic references borrowed from verbal images that he introduces in his painting's title. The title itself was a common phrase in the days of telegrams that became a signature sign off for Arabic radio programmes in the 1960s and 1970s, particular for people in war zones such as Palestine, that listed names of the families or individuals who wanted to reassure their relatives of their safety.
With this in mind, Shammout captures a seemingly widowed mother, like countless others, who has inherited the responsibility of solely caring for her family. She is proudly dressed in traditional Palestinian attire and is flanked by her three young children who are clinging to her. While the children seem timid and lost, the mother's expression is blank, subtly insinuating the suffering that she has already experienced in her lifetime. In the background, an elderly couple is forlornly in mourning. The walls are adorned with portraits of family members presumably both dead and alive and religious Islamic relics. While each member of the family is absorbed in their own emotion, there is an undeniable sense of unity and defiance. The artist has utilised deep, rich colours to uniquely achieve the sense of simultaneous tragedy yet tranquillity.
Returning only once to his hometown, he faced the reality that it was now part of Israel, a revelation that changed him forever. This painfully dramatic experience was reflected in many of his paintings and influenced his entire style and career. His dreams of returning home one day were shattered and forever bound him to his continuous struggle of representing Palestine in his artworks.
Ismail Shammout has long been recognised as one of Palestine's leading modernist painters, whose prominent style employs familiar symbols of Palestinian traditions and culture. He expressed the entirety of his emotions, shared by all Palestinians, through his paintings, making his works not only technically and aesthetically beautiful, but deeply passionate and emotional as well.