“Works by Leading Egyptian and Middle Eastern Artists from Dr. Mohammed Said Farsi’s Collection for Sale on June 12”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Almasalla news | Arab Tourism Portal News

Dr. Mohammed Saïd Farsi’s remarkable art collection has supplied landmark auctions with millions of pounds worth of Middle Eastern and Western art over the past two decades.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Credited with having the greatest collection of modern Egyptian art in private hands, his collection is set to dominate Sloane Street Auctions’ June 12 sale in London, featuring exceptional pieces, including 48 lots from two of the Middle East’s leading artists, Egyptians Adham Wanly (1908-59) and Seif Wanly (1906-79).

 

 

 

The collection also includes works by fellow Egyptians Mahmoud Saïd (1897-1964), Abdel al-Hadi El-Gazzar (1925-66), and Mohamed Nagy (1888-1956). From the West, highlights by Henry Moore, Salvador Dalí, and David Hockney add to the mix.

 

 

 

As the former Mayor of Jeddah (1972-86) and known as the father of Saudi Arabia’s modern port city, Dr. Farsi also led the planning for redeveloping Mecca and Medina. His vision placed art at the center of the urban environment, replicating the glories of Beirut’s corniche in Jeddah.

 

 

 

 

In doing so, he looked to artists such as Lebanon’s Aref El Rayess and Shafiq Mazloum, Egypt’s Mustafa Senbel, and several Saudi artists, including Maha Malluh.

 

 

 

He soon became a major influence in global art, extending his interest to outstanding Western figures such as Henry Moore, Joan Miró, Alexander Calder, Arnaldo Pomodoro, Jean Arp, and Victor Vasarely.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While his personal collection is impressive, his artistic impact on Jeddah was supreme, as he installed more than 400 sculptures across the city, culminating in a book by his son, Jeddah, City of Art.

 

 

 

 

The range of Dr. Farsi’s personal collection is immense, from early Islamic glass and carpets to contemporary street art, as evidenced by the 245 lots on offer at Sloane Street Auctions.

 

 

 

From bibelots, Fabergé Imperial Russian gewgaws, and silver through extensive holdings of drawings, sketches, oils, and watercolors to antiquities and modern bronze sculpture, this formidable gathering reflects a never-ending exploration of talent and creativity rather than just an exercise in acquisition.

 

 

 

It also includes curiosities, such as a pair of leg irons that belonged to the great escapologist Harry Houdini.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Such is the collection’s importance that it was the first of its type to be fully documented, thanks to the 1998 publication of A Museum in a Book: The Farsi Art Collection – the “Egyptian Works.”

 

 

 

Highlights from Middle Eastern artists begin with a highly atmospheric landscape by Mahmoud Saïd (1897-1964), showing a path disappearing into the woods. It is estimated to sell for £8,000-10,000. Abdel al-Hadi El-Gazzar’s enigmatic Portrait of an Italian Physician, a signed 25¼ x 21in oil on board, is expected to fetch £10,000-15,000. Mohamed Nagy’s richly colored and sumptuous, signed 18 x 26½in oil on canvas, A Rural Landscape in France, is estimated at £8,000-12,000.

 

 

 

Of the numerous works by Adham Wanly and Seif Wanly, stand-out lots include two signed drawings of ballet dancers in mixed media on paper by Adham Wanly and Dark Self, a brooding 16 x 13¼in oil on artist board from 1970 expected to sell for £6,000-8,000.

 

 

 

Leading the Western lots is a Standing Figure in bronze by Henry Moore (1898-1986). At just 6¼in (16cm) high, it has a commanding presence and an estimate of £15,000-25,000.

 

 

 

David Hockney’s (b.1937) lithograph in colors from his celebrated swimming pool sequence is signed and dated 163/1000 and is pitched at £10,000-20,000.

 

 

 

Among the decorative objects is an impressive silver and gilt appliqué Ka’ba panel measuring 54 x 79in, estimated at £8,000-12,000.

 

 

 

A Seljuk engraved coffer measuring 4½ x 7 x 4½in is estimated at £6,000-8,000.

 

 

 

Among the luxury items, an 8½in high Imperial Russian desk clock dating to 1892 by Fabergé and signed to the base by Carl Fabergé is expected to fetch £4,000-6,000.

 

 

 

“Dr. Farsi’s collection must have the most widespread appeal for collectors with its extraordinarily eclectic offering,” said Daniel Hunt of Sloane Street Auctions. “His impeccable taste and astute eye, coupled with his standing as a leading figure in modern Arabia, make this catalogue of treasures a must for serious collectors in both East and West.”