FOUR FIGURES
signed and dated R.AYAD / c.1956 lower right
pen and ink and watercolour on paper
39 x 31cm; 15 1/4 x 12in
56 x 48cm; 22 x 19in (framed)

Property from a Private Collection, London

Provenance
Collection of Dr Mohammed Said Farsi
Acquired from the above in 2013 by the present owner

Ragheb Ayad is celebrated as one of the boldest and most independent of the first generation of Modern Egyptian artists. He is particularly remembered for his spontaneous style of painting, which borders on caricature. A talented draughtsman, he chose to depict scenes of popular culture with raw emotion and honesty, including the fellaheen and their daily domestic village life, as well as desert monasteries and monks.

Ayad trained both in Cairo and in Rome, where from 1922 he studied with fellow Egyptian artist Youssef Kamel who supported him financially and in friendship. He returned to Cairo in 1930 to commence an illustrious career as teacher and curator at many renowned institutions, in addition to serving on several government committees. Appointed Department Head at the Higher School of Fine Arts in 1942, he organised the Coptic Museum in Old Cairo and was the Curator of the Cairo Modern Museum from 1950 to 1955.

During his lifetime, Ragheb Ayad held over 40 exhibitions in Egypt and abroad, and his works are held in private Egyptian and international collections, as well as institutions such as the Modern Egyptian Museum, Cairo; the Agricultural Museum in Dokki and the Museum of Fine Arts, Alexandria. Additionally, his murals adorn the walls of churches, hotels and former palaces in Egypt.