Lot 64: * Aref Al Rayyes (Lebanon, 1928-2005) Nativity

Aref Al Rayyes (Lebanon, 1928-2005)
Nativity mixed media with sand on canvas, framedexecuted in 196349 x 61cm (19 5/16 x 24in).

Provenance:Property from a private collection, BeirutFormerly in a private collection, BarcelonaArtists and craftsmen have been depicting the nativity of Jesus Christ in paintings, murals and sculptures for over 2000 years; from back in the medieval times to the present day. It was a very prominent subject for early Christian art from the 5th century because it emphasised the reality of the incarnation of Christ and the validity of the Virgin Mary's newly established title of Theotokos, the Mother of God. By the 6th century another version of the Nativity appeared in Syria, becoming universal in the East throughout the Middle Ages, and in Italy until the late 14th century. In 1896, Paul Gaugiun presented the subject in an entirely new and unconventional manner, transposing the biblical subject into a Polynesian setting and specifically subverting the iconic imagery of the Virgin and Child. In the present work, Rayyes sets the birth of Jesus in a cave; since the second century pilgrims have been visiting a cave in Bethlehem thought to be Jesus' birthplace. Here the biblical scene is portrayed in a very modern yet primitive manner as Rayyes blurs the boundaries of landscape, shape and geometry. During the artist's travels to West Africa in the mid 1950s, Rayyes was deeply influenced by the cultural primitivism of the region and African stylisations, motifs and materials. This work was executed in 1963 while the artist was in Rome where his fascination for ancient Semitic art forms manifested themselves in his "Sand Period" work. The present work is a stunning example of the period in which he was manipulating abstract and geometric morphology and experimenting with different mediums and subject matters. Deeply devoted to the Druze faith, a syncretic, philosophical religion which emphasises spiritual knowledge and the oneness of man and the universe above dogma, Rayyes' work is imbued with a sense of spiritual freedom and mysticism. Such is the diversity and variation of Rayyes output, it is impossible to attach his oeuvre to any given movement or artistic style. A complete and consummate artist, Rayyes refused to be bounded by the strictures of artistic classification, instead choosing to experiment, innovate, and pursue his artistic agenda with total freedom.