Mahmoud Said (Egypt, 1897-1964) Paysage a Louxor

Mahmoud Said (Egypt, 1897-1964) Paysage a Louxor oil on canvas, framed executed circa 1919 70 x 132cm (27 9/16 x 51 15/16in). Footnotes: Provenance: Youssef Pasha Zulficar, Alexandria, by 1936; Cherif Zulficar, Cairo (by decent from the latter); Aly Zulficar, Alexandria (the latter's nephew) Thence by descent Note: The present work is included in the Artists Catalogue Raisonne; Valerie Didier Hess and Hussam Rashwan, Mahmoud Said: Catalogue Raisonne Volume 1, Paintings, Skira Editore, 2016, illustrated on page 239 'Paysage a Louxor' A monumental early landscape of Luxor by Mahmoud Said directly from the collection of the artists family and the largest canvas by the artist ever to appear at auction 'What I am looking for is radiance rather than light. What I want is internal light, not surface light.... Surface light pleases for a minute or an hour while internal light captivates slowly, but once it appears, it imprisons us, it possesses us' - Mahmoud Said, Letter to Beppi-Martin, 1927 'In 1919, I took my first attempt at painting, one that I cherish until this very day, for it was the reason I held on to art, firmly believing that I could not live for anything else' - Mahmoud Said Bonhams are privileged to present a rare and exquisite depiction of the Nile at Luxor by the father of twentieth century Egyptian Art, Mahmoud Said. Depicting a placid, radiant stretch of the Nile and the iconic site of traditional felucca drifting on the water, the present painting is one of the most skilful and imposing examples of Said's obsession with, and mastery of, light and luminosity, as well as the largest oil on canvas by the artist ever to be presented at auction. The work comes with perhaps the most distinguished provenance of its kind, being offered directly by the artists family having originally been in the collection of the artists sister Zeinab Said, and through her marriage to Youssef Pasha Zulficar being passed into the collection of the Zulficar's, one of 20th century Egypt's most prominent royal and aristocratic families Said's landscapes, much like his portraits, sought to reflect an empathetic and stylized representation of rural Egypt and its rich historical landscape, and the choice of Luxor as a subject matter perhaps best reflects Said's adoration for the purity and authenticity of 'true Egypt'. Luxor is an ancient city and one of the longest continuously inhabited settlements in the world. Luxor has frequently been characterized as the 'world's greatest open-air museum' as the city contains the ruins of the Egyptian temple complexes at Karnak and Luxor. Immediately opposite, across the River Nile, lie the monuments, temples and tombs of the west bank of the Theban Necropolis, which includes the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens. Artists and poets have long been drawn to the allure of this fabled terrain, as Southern (Upper) Egypt has come represent the pure, unfettered origins of the countries national identity, with fellow artist Hussein Bikar writing that 'Egypt is not Cairo, not even the northern towns and villages, no... it lies in the depths of the South where the relics of the Pharaohs are to be found. Here, even the faces are genuine, they are Egyptian through and through.' An iconic location depicted by an artist who was ardent on chronicling the landscape of his native land, Luxor's shimmering, reflective waters mirror the superlative artistic prowess of a painter utterly devoted to his subject matter. The Zulfiqar Family The present work comes from the collection of the illustrious Zulficar family whose patriarch, Youssef Zulficar Pasha was married to Mahmoud Said's sister. Youssef Zulficar was a prominent judge, vice president of Alexandria's mixed court of appeal, and belonged to a family of Caucasian origin whose ancestors came to Egypt with viceroy Muhammad Ali Pasha at the beginning of the 19th century. Zulficar married Zeinab Said, Mahmoud Said's sister and the daughter of former Prime Minister Muhammad Sa'id Pasha. This union would eventually lead to the intermarriage of the Zulficar family with the ruling Muhammad Ali Dynasty when Youssef and Zeinab's daughter Safinaz was wedded to King Farouk, assuming the title Queen Farida. Queen Farida was an iconic figure in 20th century Egypt, as one of the first female royals in the modern history of the country to engage and appear in the public realm she became a symbol for a modern, cosmopolitan Egypt and the evolving role of women in public life. Mahmoud Said himself painted a series of finely executed and well-known portraits of his sister Zeinab, and niece Queen Farida, one of which was sold in these rooms November 2017. In addition to this, several of his most important works were passed on to members of the Zulfiqar family and many remain in their private collection. The appearance at auction of a monumental early landscape of this size and quality which has been with the artists family for over a century is a rare occurrence indeed. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: * * VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com