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Lot Essay
Amongst one of the most important Egyptian Modern artists, Abdul Hadi El-Gazzar is perhaps one of the most inventive. Although he died at a young age, the diverse array of works within his oeuvre are amongst the most compelling images of twentieth century Middle Eastern art.
El-Gazzar was a member of the Contemporary Art Group, established in 1946 by Hussein Youssef Amin, who sought to come up with a definition of their surroundings and project it in a novel fashion. The group formed to revive 'genuine Egyptian history' through the employment of contemporary popular trends, from both the Arab and Western worlds and traditional folk symbolism. As a result El-Gazzar chose particularly to depict ordinary working class people as well as those who lived on the edge - mystics, magicians and circus acrobats. Through his strong line and colour, these depictions were meant to give the 'popular' characters a certain nobility, but in doing so, a pervasive feeling of magic and mystery permeates the paintings.
The striking work, Moulid of the Dervishes, from 1951, is a strong example from the artist's so-called Folkloric period which reflected El-Gazzar's influence and inspiration from the people he encountered while he was living in the Sayeda Zeinab district. This area was known for the congregations of the Sufi movement who would meet to commemorate saintly women, usually in the shape of Moulids (local festivals), which brought together large groups of ordinary people and magicians, circus acrobats, dervishes and charlatans. El-Gazzar closely watched the behaviour of each of these characters and aimed to transfer their stories and symbols onto the surface of his works.
The present work is a rare example in the artist's oeuvre where he has depicted two characters together, a man and a female. Only half of the woman's face is depicted whereby she is covered by the traditional burqa'a, suggesting she is hiding a deep secret. Although traditionally in Egyptian visual arts the subject's profile is often depicted as a symbol of status and wealth, El-Gazzar's choice to depict the woman in an onward binding gaze suggests he is trying to capture the spirit of the lower class, to which he was exposed.
In the background, the artist has depicted a large traditional sword that appears to be hanging on the wall, yet could also be a banner that references those that the artist would have seen during the Moulid. The pommel takes on the shape of a snake, while the cross guard takes on the shape of a fish and, engraved on the blade, appears a mythical figure of half-man half-snake. The use of these motifs were the artist's way to symbolise magic and he capitalised on folkloric art and icons to highlight contemporary popular trends and visual narratives. This explains his choice to portray a faint composition in the background that depicts folkloric and hieroglyphic characters.
However the viewer's eye is drawn to two things within the composition. One is that of the full frontal depiction of the man who appears with his long, thick strands of hair overflowing over his coat, masked in part by the traditional cap that adorns his head. One is unaware whether he is a magician or an acrobat or even a dervish. Yet he is clearly the central focal point of the work. The onlooker is beckoned to examine his face, rendered with depth through El-Gazzar's use of shading, but remains oblivious to his true thoughts. The second is the centre, where lies a sorcerer with a crystal ball upon a snake-like mythical creature, surrounded by branches of trees that meet at the top with a crescent.
The combination of this deep-rooted iconology is clearly a reflection of El-Gazzar's fascination with the supernatural and magic and his realization that the contemporary trend was to turn to supernatural powers in the hope that they would fulfil the wishes and solve the problems of those who were unfortunate. These experiences continued to provide a deep inspiration for El-Gazzar and led him to move into a more surrealist supernatural inspired phase that remains the most appreciated today.
El-Gazzar was a member of the Contemporary Art Group, established in 1946 by Hussein Youssef Amin, who sought to come up with a definition of their surroundings and project it in a novel fashion. The group formed to revive 'genuine Egyptian history' through the employment of contemporary popular trends, from both the Arab and Western worlds and traditional folk symbolism. As a result El-Gazzar chose particularly to depict ordinary working class people as well as those who lived on the edge - mystics, magicians and circus acrobats. Through his strong line and colour, these depictions were meant to give the 'popular' characters a certain nobility, but in doing so, a pervasive feeling of magic and mystery permeates the paintings.
The striking work, Moulid of the Dervishes, from 1951, is a strong example from the artist's so-called Folkloric period which reflected El-Gazzar's influence and inspiration from the people he encountered while he was living in the Sayeda Zeinab district. This area was known for the congregations of the Sufi movement who would meet to commemorate saintly women, usually in the shape of Moulids (local festivals), which brought together large groups of ordinary people and magicians, circus acrobats, dervishes and charlatans. El-Gazzar closely watched the behaviour of each of these characters and aimed to transfer their stories and symbols onto the surface of his works.
The present work is a rare example in the artist's oeuvre where he has depicted two characters together, a man and a female. Only half of the woman's face is depicted whereby she is covered by the traditional burqa'a, suggesting she is hiding a deep secret. Although traditionally in Egyptian visual arts the subject's profile is often depicted as a symbol of status and wealth, El-Gazzar's choice to depict the woman in an onward binding gaze suggests he is trying to capture the spirit of the lower class, to which he was exposed.
In the background, the artist has depicted a large traditional sword that appears to be hanging on the wall, yet could also be a banner that references those that the artist would have seen during the Moulid. The pommel takes on the shape of a snake, while the cross guard takes on the shape of a fish and, engraved on the blade, appears a mythical figure of half-man half-snake. The use of these motifs were the artist's way to symbolise magic and he capitalised on folkloric art and icons to highlight contemporary popular trends and visual narratives. This explains his choice to portray a faint composition in the background that depicts folkloric and hieroglyphic characters.
However the viewer's eye is drawn to two things within the composition. One is that of the full frontal depiction of the man who appears with his long, thick strands of hair overflowing over his coat, masked in part by the traditional cap that adorns his head. One is unaware whether he is a magician or an acrobat or even a dervish. Yet he is clearly the central focal point of the work. The onlooker is beckoned to examine his face, rendered with depth through El-Gazzar's use of shading, but remains oblivious to his true thoughts. The second is the centre, where lies a sorcerer with a crystal ball upon a snake-like mythical creature, surrounded by branches of trees that meet at the top with a crescent.
The combination of this deep-rooted iconology is clearly a reflection of El-Gazzar's fascination with the supernatural and magic and his realization that the contemporary trend was to turn to supernatural powers in the hope that they would fulfil the wishes and solve the problems of those who were unfortunate. These experiences continued to provide a deep inspiration for El-Gazzar and led him to move into a more surrealist supernatural inspired phase that remains the most appreciated today.