.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
A wonderful example of Saliba Douaihy’s distinctive transitional style from realism to complete abstraction is this depiction of the artist’s home-village, this is a stunning work that epitomises the artist’s love and appreciation for his native country, as well as his style and inspirations after studying in Paris. Focused on his own interpretation of the Lebanese landscape, villages and folklore, Douaihy showcases an artistic language that can be considered as a transitory unique style that incorporates Modernist and Impressionist features.
In this painting, the viewer is immersed in a Mediterranean scene where the landscape and the village co-exist in harmony. We stand in front of a peaceful scene of a traditional, modest house made of stones, a tree that crosses through the canvas vertically – the crown of the tree is left to the viewer’s imagination, a mountain range in red hues that shares that background of canvas with a bright, blue sky, and two people and a calf that seek refuge from the sun under the shade casted by the tree. While the painting is classical in terms of having a figurative subject matter, the use of quick and rough brushstrokes, the featureless faces of the characters, and the lack of a clear sense of depth are a testament of the artist’s modern approach. The artist’s refined understanding of light is also evident, as we can observe through the captivating highlights and shadows in the scene that evoke a sense warmth and tranquility.
Born in 1915 in Ehden, the mountainous region of the Cedars of Lebanon, the artist was exposed from a young age to art which he found in the churches of the region. The young artist was able to pursue a career in the arts due to his innate talent which caught the attention of his friends and family. Determined to become an artist, Douaihy moved to Beirut, where he soon became an apprentice at the atelier of the classical Lebanese artist Habib Srour (1860-1938). While Douaihy benefited extensively from working alongside Srour, the young artist eventually developed the desire to create his own artistic language, much inspired by his homeland's landscapes.
In the fall of 1932, Douaihy was granted a scholarship from the Lebanese government to pursue his studies in Paris at the prestigious Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts. While in Paris, he was taught by Paul-Albert Laurens (1870- 1934) and Louis Roger (1874-1953), as well as by fresco painter Pierre-Henri Ducos (1886-1972). The young artist also met the Iraqi artist Faeq Hassan whose painting drew his admiration. Two years later, Douaihy was awarded the school's top prize and successively exhibited at the Salon des Artistes. After his graduation, he returned to Lebanon in 1936, where he opened his own studio and became quickly a renowned artist. Combining his newly acquired modernist approach towards art with his cultural heritage, Douaihy began to produce works which reflected his affection and admiration towards the beauty of the Levant and his sophisticated artistry and mastery of oil painting.
By mid-1940s, Douaihy had paved a distinct path for the world of visual arts in the Middle East. In the 1950s, he moved to New York where he adopted a more avant-gardist style, exploring Abstract Expressionism and the Colour Field movement. He participated in several solo shows and group exhibitions, including the New York International Fair, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, the North Carolina Museum of Art and at the renowned Guggenheim. Today, he is remembered as one of the leading figures of Arab art during the twentieth century.
In this painting, the viewer is immersed in a Mediterranean scene where the landscape and the village co-exist in harmony. We stand in front of a peaceful scene of a traditional, modest house made of stones, a tree that crosses through the canvas vertically – the crown of the tree is left to the viewer’s imagination, a mountain range in red hues that shares that background of canvas with a bright, blue sky, and two people and a calf that seek refuge from the sun under the shade casted by the tree. While the painting is classical in terms of having a figurative subject matter, the use of quick and rough brushstrokes, the featureless faces of the characters, and the lack of a clear sense of depth are a testament of the artist’s modern approach. The artist’s refined understanding of light is also evident, as we can observe through the captivating highlights and shadows in the scene that evoke a sense warmth and tranquility.
Born in 1915 in Ehden, the mountainous region of the Cedars of Lebanon, the artist was exposed from a young age to art which he found in the churches of the region. The young artist was able to pursue a career in the arts due to his innate talent which caught the attention of his friends and family. Determined to become an artist, Douaihy moved to Beirut, where he soon became an apprentice at the atelier of the classical Lebanese artist Habib Srour (1860-1938). While Douaihy benefited extensively from working alongside Srour, the young artist eventually developed the desire to create his own artistic language, much inspired by his homeland's landscapes.
In the fall of 1932, Douaihy was granted a scholarship from the Lebanese government to pursue his studies in Paris at the prestigious Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts. While in Paris, he was taught by Paul-Albert Laurens (1870- 1934) and Louis Roger (1874-1953), as well as by fresco painter Pierre-Henri Ducos (1886-1972). The young artist also met the Iraqi artist Faeq Hassan whose painting drew his admiration. Two years later, Douaihy was awarded the school's top prize and successively exhibited at the Salon des Artistes. After his graduation, he returned to Lebanon in 1936, where he opened his own studio and became quickly a renowned artist. Combining his newly acquired modernist approach towards art with his cultural heritage, Douaihy began to produce works which reflected his affection and admiration towards the beauty of the Levant and his sophisticated artistry and mastery of oil painting.
By mid-1940s, Douaihy had paved a distinct path for the world of visual arts in the Middle East. In the 1950s, he moved to New York where he adopted a more avant-gardist style, exploring Abstract Expressionism and the Colour Field movement. He participated in several solo shows and group exhibitions, including the New York International Fair, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, the North Carolina Museum of Art and at the renowned Guggenheim. Today, he is remembered as one of the leading figures of Arab art during the twentieth century.