Lot 41: Lorna Selim (Iraq, born 1928) Old Baghdad, Jamhouriyah Street,

Old Baghdad, Jamhouriyah Street, oil on board, signed and dated 1966 in Arabic lower right, framed, 33.4 x 104.6cm (13 1/8 x 41 3/16in).

Provenance:
Private UK collection.

Lorna Selim's work Old Baghdad, Jamhouriyah Street depicts the remains of a late 19th century house in central Baghdad. This work shows the deterioration of one such residence following the exodus of Jewish citizens from Iraq in the early 1950s.

Residences such as these were typically owned by wealthy Jewish members of the community and were far more structurally sound than their mud-brick counterparts. Usually these structures were three story buildings, often with underground levels, with each story having a specific purpose.

Towards the right of the field one can glimpse the inner courtyard with its tall colonnades. Above the painted doorways to the left of the field are shown the Shanasheel. These architectural features were typical elements of Iraqi architecture and contributed to the enclosed, bustling nature of many of Iraq's major cities.

For a depiction of Shanasheel by the Iraiq pioneer artist Faeq Hassan see Bonhams, Modern & Contemporary Middle Eastern & South Asian Art, 11th October 2010, lot 141.