Christie’s Dubai is pleased to host the launch of the Catalogue raisonné of Mahmoud Saïd (1897-1964), in the year marking the 120^th anniversary of the birth of this great painter of the Arab world.

Mahmoud Saïd was brought up in the aristocratic circle of Alexandria, being the son of a former Prime Minister of Egypt and the uncle of Queen Farida (1921-1988). Following his father's wishes, he trained as a lawyer and was a judge at the Mixed Court of Egypt until 1947, painting only in his spare time. He developed his own personal style in his depictions of Egyptian landscapes, fascinated by the traditional peasant life in rural Egypt and by the intrinsic Egyptian female beauty. He also produced a wide range of family, colleagues and friends' portraits, in which he captured his sitter's psychology with a profound sensitivity, hence re-interpreting in his own way conventional European portraiture.

The catalogue raisonné was written and researched in co-authorship between Valérie Didier Hess, Director, Business Development, Christie’s Middle East, and Dr. Hussam Rashwan, a prominent Alexandrian collector of Modern Egyptian art. The book was published by SKIRA in Milan and incorporates all works of art, both paintings and drawings by the artist known to date:

382 paintings and 36 unidentified works of which 56 newly discovered and 51 illustrated for the first time

379 drawings most of which have never been published

238 documents and photographs of archival material

Furthermore, 11 articles on the subject were commissioned for the book and written by some of the leading academics in the field, such as Nada Shabout or Dr Amal Nasr, just to name two. The book also includes 17 seminal articles difficult of access on the subject previously available solely in Arabic and French and now translated into English.

The book is accompanied by a website www.mahmoud-said.com where further discoveries of works by the master will be added to the research, as anticipated by the authors.

“Working alongside Dr. Hussam Rashwan was a great opportunity and privilege. We are delighted to have compiled the first ever published catalogue raisonné of any Middle Eastern artist, a major milestone for the history of Modern Arab art. We hope more comprehensive publications of the sort will follow in the coming years. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all who supported our research, from private collectors to government entities, and particularly to our sponsors without whom the publication of this book would have not been possible”, commented Valérie Didier Hess, co-author and Director, Business Development, Christie’s Dubai.

The idea to dedicate these last five years to research on Mahmoud Saïd came to Valérie in 2010, when Christie’s was entrusted to sell the private collection of Dr. Mohammed Saïd Farsi, the former mayor of Jeddah, who was an avid collector of Modern Egyptian art, including 10 works by Mahmoud Saïd. At the same time as the auction took place, Valérie coincidently met Dr. Rashwan, a living encyclopedia on Modern Arab Art and together they started the catalogue raisonné project. After five years they decided to publish their findings with SKIRA to secure an international reach and to help Middle Eastern art to be seen, understood and recognized by a global audience.

The catalogue raisonné of Mahmoud Saïd was published by SKIRA and can be ordered under following link: http://www.skira.net/en/books/mahmoud-said

NOTES TO EDITORS 

In Alexandria “The Mahmoud Saïd Museum” is located in the former home of the artist. This hotel particulier was sold to the government in 1970 by the artist’s widow, Samiha Riad, along with a collection of around 40 paintings, several sketches and photographs. Today the villa has been renovated as a museum complex, comprising of a museum on Modern Egyptian Art and a museum on Seif and Adham Wanly in addition to the Mahmoud Saïd Museum.

BOOK LAUNCH DATES 

Book Teaser Event & Panel discussion with Hashem Montasser & view of private collection of Mahmoud Said works - 1 March 2017 – 7-9pm, At The Lighthouse, Dubai Design District, Building 6

Launch & Panel discussion with the authors at Christie’s Dubai - Press conference at 1.00pm followed by the book launch at 2pm; 15 March 2017, At the Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel, Godolphin Ballroom

Launch & Panel discussion with the authors and Sheikh Sultan Sooud Al Qassimi at Art Dubai - 16 March 2017 from 6.00pm to 7.00pm, At Madinat Jumeirah Hotel, Art Modern Lounge (?)

LOAN EXHIBITION OF WORKS BY MAHMOUD SAID IN PRIVATE COLLECTIONS

Loan Exhibition of 12 Mahmoud Said paintings alongside the 6 Mahmoud Said works being sold at Christie’s Dubai on 18^th March 2017 at 7pm - 15-19 March 2017, At the Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel, Godolphin Ballroom

AUCTION INCLUDING WORKS BY MAHMOUD SAID

Dubai: Modern and Contemporary Art At the Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel - 18 March 2017, at 7.00pm