Lot 35: Tahia Halim (Egypt, 1919-2003) The Fisherman

Tahia Halim (Egypt, 1919-2003)
The Fisherman oil on canvassigned "T. Halim" (lower left), executed circa 1980s70 x 50cm (27 9/16 x 19 11/16in).

Provenance:Property from a private collection, RomeOriginally gifted by the artist to the present owner's mother in EgyptThence by descent to the present ownerTWO RARE AND EXQUISITE WORKS BY TAHIA HALIM FROM A PRIVATE ITALIAN COLLECTION"There is a poignancy in her works which leaves its mark on all spectators. Her manipulation of the palette knife is skilful and produces a rich quality of painting. Her Nubian scenes evoke an emotional response that is full of dramatic intensity" – Apollo Magazine, 1951The two following lots present the rare appearance of important early works by Egyptian modernist pioneer Tahia Halim that have been in an Italian private collection since being acquired directly from the artist in the 1980's, and are coming to market for the first time. Tahia Halim's artworks were profoundly influenced by her various travels to Nubia during the. Halim visited Nubia twice in the early 1960s, once with her friend and colleague Cleopatra Shahata in 1961 and again with a group of fifty academics and artists in 1962 on a trip organised by Tharwat Okasha, the then Minister for Culture and National Guidance. Both trips were to leave lasting impressions on Halim who worked closely with the inhabitants of Nubia to document and study their ways of life, their traditions and rituals. The main reason this trip was organised was to preserve in some way the area around Aswan which was due to be flooded upon completion of the High Dam. The group that cruised the Nile aboard the 'Deka' included artists such as Adham and Seif Wanly, Adam Henein and Hussein Bekar, the architect Hassan Fathi and musician Aziz el-Shawan. The writer and critic Louis Awad was also aboard the boat and described the trip as the key influence in Halim's future works. The group sailed from village to village speaking with the inhabitants and learning of their cultures. They recorded the experiences of the locals which were soon to be lost to the world forever.