Sohrab Sepehri (October 7, 1928 – April 21, 1980) was a notable Iranian poet and a painter. He is considered to be one of the five most famous Iranian poets who have practiced modern poetry alongside Nima Youshij, Ahmad Shamlou, Mehdi Akhavan-Sales, and Forough Farrokhzad. Sepehri's poems have been translated into several languages including; English, French, Spanish, Italian and Lithuanian. Samira Gilani has published several articles on Sohrab Sepehri's poems at the universities of Tehran and Punjab.
Sohrab was born in Kashan, Iran in 1928. He completed his elementary and secondary education in Kashan and moved to Tehran in 1943 to study at teachers' college . He worked as a teacher for a few years, then enrolled as a student in the faculty of fine arts school at University of Tehran and graduated with honors. Sohrab Sepehri was very talented in fine arts and his paintings were displayed in many European exhibits. His paintings are about nature and one of his paintings was sold in Tehran in 2018. He is one of Iran's foremost modernist painters. Unfortunately, he moved to England for treatment but he had to return Tehran because of the progression of his illness. Finally, he passed away in Pars Hospital in Tehran on April 28, 1980. He was buried in Kashan. Sohrab never got married and his grave is frequently visited by many art lovers.
Sohrab Sepehri grew up in a family that they were into art and poetry. His father was working in a post office and loved art. His mother loved poetry and art, too. When he was a child, his father was suffering from paralysis and died in 1341. Sohrab missed his only brother who was his only playmate in childhood, too.
After moving to Tehran and educating in Fine Art College, he was employed in oil company. He left the company after 8 months. In 1330, he published his first collection of poems named "The Death of Color". In 1332, he was graduated from Fine Art College and he received the scientific first degree. During this time, he published his second collection of poems, "sleeps life".
In 1336, he traveled to some European countries. He visited France and Paris. He enrolled in lithographie in the school of Fine Arts in Paris. At the time when he was educating in Paris, he didn't receive scholarship anymore, so he needed to work and make a living. He sometimes was hanging from tall buildings to wash the apartments' windows.
Sohrab Sepehri (1928 - 1980) Untitled (From the Tree Trunk Series) signed with the Artist's inscription (lower right) gouache and oil on paper sheet: 41 by 51 cm. 16 by 20 in. framed: 59.5 by 69.5 cm. 23 ½ by 27 ¼ in. Executed circa 1970s.
Sohrab Sepehri (1928 - 1980) Untitled signed Sepehri (lower left), signed, dated and inscribed Sepehri Tehran 1963 (to the frame) oil on canvas 71 by 101 cm. 28 by 40 in. framed Executed in 1963.
Iranian oil painting on board by Sohrab Sepehri (Iranian, 1928 - 1980). The artwork depicts a Neo-Expressionist abstract composition. Signed lower center in Iranian. Note: Sohrab Sepehri was an Iranian painter and poet. The artist is considered to be one of the five most famous Iranian poets who have practiced modern poetry alongside Nima Youshij, Ahmad Shamlou, Mehdi Akhavan Sales, and Forough Farrokhzad. Sepehri’s poems have been translated into several languages, including English, French, Spanish, Italian, Lithuanian, and Kurdish.
Sohrab Sepehri (1928 - 1980) Untitled (Plant) inscribed Sepehri '62 (to mount, lower right) ink on paper, glued to mount 51 by 36 cm.; 20 by 14¼ in. Mount: 68 by 56 cm.; 26¾ by 22 in. Framed: 69 by 57 cm.; 27 by 22½ in. Executed in circa 1962.
Sohrab Sepehri (1928 - 1980) Untitled (Abstract) signed in Farsi S. Sepehri (lower right) oil on canvas 98 by 70 cm.; 38½ by 27½ in. Framed: 100 by 70.5 cm.; 39½ by 27¾ in. Executed in circa 1970s.
A vintage Iranian oil painting on canvas by Sohrab Sepehri, depicting a Neo Expressionistic compositionally complex cityscape. Signed lower center in Iranian and lower right in English. Framed. Sohrab Sepehri, 1928 to 1980, Iranian painter and poet. The artist is considered to be one of the five most famous Iranian poets who have practiced modern poetry alongside Nima Youshij, Ahmad Shamlou, Mehdi Akhavan Sales, and Forough Farrokhzad. Sepehris poems have been translated into several languages, including English, French, Spanish, Italian, Lithuanian, and Kurdish. One of a kind artwork. Collectible Mid Century Iranian, Persian Fine Art.
Sohrab Sepehri (Iran, 1928-1980) Untitled (Abstract series) oil on canvas signed 'Sohrab Sepheri' in Farsi (lower right), executed early 1960's 47 x 39.5cm (18 1/2 x 15 9/16in).
PROPERTY FROM THE AZARI COLLECTION, LOS ANGELES Sohrab Sepehri (1928 - 1980) Untitled signed in Farsi (to the front); inscribed in Persian and English 37-G A-62 (to the reverse of the mount) watercolour and gouache on paper, set in heavy paper mount 48.9 by 34.3 cm. 19 ¼ by 13 ½ in. framed: 70 by 50 cm. 27 ¾ by 19 ¾ in. Executed in circa 1960s. This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity, signed by Parvaneh Sepehri, heir of Sohrab Sepehri, on behalf of the heirs of Sohrab Sepehri, 9 July 2016, no. 25-P7978.
PROPERTY FROM THE AZARI COLLECTION, LOS ANGELES Sohrab Sepehri (1928 - 1980) Untitled signed in Farsi (lower left); inscribed in Farsi and English 35-G W-64 (to the reverse of the mount) watercolour on paper, set in heavy paper mount 48.9 by 34.3 cm. 19 ¼ by 13 ½ in. framed: 70 by 50 cm. 27 1/2 by 19 1/2 in. Executed in circa 1960s. This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity, signed by Parvaneh Sepehri, heir of Sohrab Sepehri, on behalf of the heirs of Sohrab Sepehri, 9 July 2016, no. 25-P7970.
PROPERTY FROM THE AZARI COLLECTION, LOS ANGELES Sohrab Sepehri (1928 - 1980) Untitled signed in Farsi (to the front) oil and gouache on paper, mounted on card 68.6 by 47.6 cm. 27 by 18¾in. framed: 87 by 66.5 cm. 34¼by 26¼in. Executed in circa 1960s. This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity, signed by Parvaneh Sepehri, heir of Sohrab Sepehri, on behalf of the heirs of Sohrab Sepehri, 9 July 2016, no. 25-P7929.
PROPERTY FROM THE AZARI COLLECTION, LOS ANGELES Sohrab Sepehri (1928 - 1980) Untitled signed in Farsi (lower right) watercolour and oil laid on card 48.3 by 68.6 cm. 19 by 27 in. framed: 60 by 80 cm. 23½by 31½in. Executed in circa 1960s. This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity, signed by Parvaneh Sepehri, heir of Sohrab Sepehri, on behalf of the heirs of Sohrab Sepehri, 9 July 2016, no. 25-P8128.
Attributed to Sohrab Sepehri (Iranian, 1928-1980), mid-century gouache and ink sketch on paper, signed l.r., attributed but not authenticated, 8 1/4" x 12 1/4".
Attributed to Sohrab Sepehri (Iranian, 1928-1980), mid-century gouache sketch on paper of linear forms, signed l.r., attributed but not authenticated, 7 1/2" x 11".
Attributed to Sohrab Sepehri (Iranian, 1928-1980), mid-century gouache sketch on paper of tree trunks, signed l.r., attributed but not authenticated, 8 1/4" x 12 1/2".
Attributed to Sohrab Sepehri (Iranian, 1928-1980), mid-century gouache and ink sketch on paper, signed l.l., attributed but not authenticated, 7 3/4" x 11 3/4".
Sohrab Sepehri (Iran, 1928-1980) Untitled (From the Tree Series) oil on canvas, framed signed in Farsi (lower right), signed and dated '1967' on the verso, executed in 1967 155 x 100cm (61 x 39 3/8in). For further information on this lot please visit the Bonhams website
Sohrab Sepehri (Iranian, 1928 - 1980) House of Kashan signed in Farsi (lower right) oil on canvas 51 ¼ x 31 ¾in. (80.5 x 130cm.) Painted circa 1978-1979 ,
Sohrab Sepehri (Iran, 1928-1980) Untitled (from the Tree Trunk Series) oil on canvas, framed signed 'Sepheri' in Farsi (lower left), executed circa 1970s 85 x 120cm (33 7/16 x 47 1/4in). For further information on this lot please visit the Bonhams website
Sohrab Sepehri (Iran, 1928-1980) Trees oil on canvas, framed signed (lower right), affixed with the label of Bourges Gallery on the verso inscribed 'Sohrab Sepehri, Tree Series' executed circa 1960's 100 x 100cm (39 3/8 x 39 3/8in). For further information on this lot please visit the Bonhams website
Sohrab Sepehri (Iran, 1928-1980) Untitled (from the Tree Trunk Series) oil on canvas, framedsigned "Sepheri" and dated "72" (lower right), executed in 1972121 x 161cm (47 5/8 x 63 3/8in). Provenance:Formerly property from a distinguished private collection, New YorkGifted by the above to the present owner circa 1990'sProperty from a private collection, Montreal"I have never known two poplars to be enemiesI have never witnessed a willow selling its shade to the groundThe elm tree freely bestows its branch to the crow-and wherever there is a leaf- my passion blossoms likes a bush - bathing me in the joy of existence"-Sohrab SepehriThe present lot is an exceptional example of Sohrab Sepehri's celebrated Tree paintings and is one of the largest, most refined and accomplished full scale works from the series ever to appear at auction, and the largest Tree trunk composition to come to market in a decade. Executed in 1972 during Sepehri's extended stay in New York, the depiction of Trees, for Sepehri, represented an escape from the harsh urban environment that he found so oppressive and melancholic, longing for a return to the verdant pastures of his homeland.In its grace, naturalism, and sophistication, the present painting is a work utterly faithful to the tenets of Sepehri's oeuvre; demonstrating an almost perfect confluence of Sepehri's strong representational impulse propelled by a love of the natural landscape of his native of Kashan and the near monastic technical discipline honed from his study and mastery of Eastern painting techniques Poet, artist and intellectual, Sepehri's mild manner and withdrawn persona belied the richness of expression manifest in his works. Enraptured by nature, Sepehri had a deep and profound attachment to the topography of his native Kashan, the "oasis city" where trees and vegetation sprung amidst the arid desert. The genesis of Sepehri's work was firmly rooted in this landscape, and he often bemoaned the long periods of absence from Kashan he had to endure when exhibiting and working abroad.It is during one such excursion in 1970 when Sepehri expressed in a letter to his close friend Ahmad Reza Ahmadi that he felt "desperately alone in the city with no birds and no trees", and it is amidst this pining that the present series was first conceived. Sepeheri had a firm belief in the inherent grace and nobility of the nature he so admired. Inspired by Eastern traditions, with which he had direct contact during travels in India and Japan, Sepehri came to see the purity of the natural world as an antidote to the corruption of the human condition. Removed from the sphere of urban tumult, an unblemished natural world exhibited order, harmony and simplicity. Sepehri's focus however, fell on perhaps nature's most visually striking and symbolically potent inhabitant; the tree. Monolithic, life-exuding, and perpetual, the tree is both the ultimate example of the force of nature, and its symbolic focal point, harbouring all four elements of life; soil within its roots, water within its ducts, expelling life giving oxygen and providing the fuel for fire, its form and significance gripped Sepehri's creative faculties. Sepehri's choice in depicting this singular archetype of nature derives from his belief in the beauty of the concise. Zen tradition encourages the shedding of excess and the absence of the superfluous, to this end Sepehri depicts only trunks, for he was no realist, and was concerned more with the meaning of a tree, its aesthetic essence, than construing its actual physical occurrence in a specified landscape. Combined with this, he employs a limited palette, consisting of coloured grays and dark greens. The limiting of colour to an absolute minimum is a conscious exercise in terseness, echoing the formal restraints of the Zen haiku which are limited to seventeen syllables, and reflecting Sepehri's belief that economy in colour resulted in greater artistic lucidity. Despite this terse palette, Sepehri manages to faithfully capture the texture, complexity and light and dark tonal variations between his tree trunks, delineating gracefully where trunks and branches engage, interlope and separate. Ultimately, for Sepehri, the depiction of a tree was a meditative endeavour, in the Japanese tradition of "hitsuzendo", an attempt at creative self-reflection. Unlike Western traditions where the artist uses his faculties to fashion a work into existence, the Zen painting tradition holds that the "man the art and the work are all one". Sohrab Sepehri was born in 1928 in Kashan. He was and continues to be considered one of the most powerful influences in contemporary Iranian literature, particularly modern poetry. His revolutionary "Free verse", which exhibited a bold replacement of the old, traditional poetic devices with an innovative free flowing approach, is widely considered one of the finest expressions of modern poetry in the Middle East. Sepehri graduated from the Fine Arts College of Tehran University in 1953, and by 1957 he left for France to join the École de Beaux-Arts in Paris. His works were included in the first and second Tehran Biennials and soon after his move to Rome, he also showed at the Venice Biennale in 1958. Sepehri eventually went to Japan in 1960 to study wood engraving. Having shown at the São Paolo Biennal in 1963, he also exhibited at Le Havre in France. By 1970 he was well-travelled, after taking extensive trips to the East and Far East and visiting India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. During this period he also exhibited widely in Europe and North America, including landmark exhibitions at Galerie Cyrus in Paris and Elain Benson Gallery in New York. Sepehri died in Tehran in 1979.Flawlessly executed, the present work is not only superlative in its composition but stems from one of the most creatively fertile years in Sepehri's career, when the artist had no fewer than four major solo exhibitions in Paris, new York and Tehran. Archetypal, exemplary and sublime, the present painting is a work that is truly deserving of the title, "best of breed"
Sohrab Sepehri (Iranian, 1928-1980) Untitled (Abstract series) oil on canvassigned "Sohrab Sepheri" in Farsi (lower right), executed early 1960's52 x 38.5cm (20 1/2 x 15 3/16in). Provenance:Property from a private collection, UKAcquired directly from the Artist in Iran, 1963 by an English employee of the Iranian World Service Radio
Sohrab Sepehri (Iranian, 1928-1980) Untitled (Abstract series) oil on canvassigned "Sohrab Sepheri" in Farsi (lower left), executed early 1960's45.5 x 39.5cm (17 15/16 x 15 9/16in). Provenance:Property from a private collection, UKAcquired directly from the Artist in Iran, 1963 by an English employee of the Iranian World Service Radio
Sohrab Sepehri (Iranian, 1928-1980) Abstract Composition in Grey gouache on paper, framed executed in 1965 70 x 50cm (27 9/16 x 19 11/16in). FOOTNOTES Provenance: Property from a private collection, UK This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Lili Golestan Published: Sohrab Sepeheri, Poet, Painter, Zaman Publications, Tehran 1980 (illustrated)
Sohrab Sepehri (Iran, 1928-1980) Abstract Composition with Blue acrylic on paper, framed executed circa 1970's, signed in Farsi (lower right) 25 x 25cm (9 13/16 x 9 13/16in).(Size of Image with backing: 25 x 25 Size of Image: 16 x 16) FOOTNOTES Provenance: Property from a private collection, Paris Presented as a gift from the artist to the present owner, circa 1970's
Sohrab Sepehri (Iran, 1928-1980) Abstract Composition with Blue acrylic on paper, framed executed circa 1970's, signed in Farsi (lower right) 25 x 25cm (9 13/16 x 9 13/16in).(Size of Image with backing: 25 x 25 Size of Image: 16 x 16) FOOTNOTES Provenance: Property from a private collection, Paris Presented as a gift from the artist to the present owner, circa 1970's
