Lot 143: * HUSSEIN BICAR (Egypt, 1913-2002) Nubian House Nubian House

Hussein Bicar (Egypt, 1913-2002) Nubian House
Nubian House
oil on board, framed
signed and dated (lower right), executed in 1974
100 x 73cm (39 3/8 x 28 3/4in).
FOOTNOTES
Provenance:
Property from a private collection, Cairo
Formerly in the collection of Egyptian diplomat Ismail Qadri, who acquired it directly from the artist

Published:
Shoby El Sharouny, Hussein Bicar, Cairo, 2003 (illustrated in colour)
N.B: the measurements and date of execution published in the above book are incorrect, the family of Mr Ismail Qadri, who is the credited owner in the above publication, have verified the provenance and specifications of the present artwork

"After I moved southward with the Nile to Qena, I felt drawn to the river, its villagers and civilisation. The Nile overwhelmed me and I started to know the real Egypt.

Egypt is not Cairo, it is not even the northern town and villages. No, it lies in the depths of the South where the relics of the Pharoahs are found. The native Southeners have not mingled with the foreigners who came to Egypt, they are Egyptians through and through.
There, I feel that the faces carved on walls and temples are full of life, I feel they are moving, talking with me and eating with me"
Hussein Bicar

Bonhams is pleased to bring to market one of the most exquisite works by renowned Egyptian artist Hussein Bicar, and his largest painting ever to come to auction; serene, contemplative, and refined, the present work counts as one of Bicar's most elegant compositions.

As an artist, Bicar was considered a tour de force of talent; teacher, illustrator, painter, poet and musician, Bicar embraced the arts in their totality achieving renown in many of the fields he applied his trade to.
Born in 1913 in Alexandria, Egypt, He graduated from Fine Arts College in 1933, and subsequently from the Ahlia School for Painting. He taught at, and eventually headed the Painting Department of the Faculty of Arts at Qena at 1955. He was a founder of the Helwan Wax Museum.

In 1944, Bicar began his career in journalism when he became, with Ahmad Sabry, Mustapha Amin and Ali Amin, one of the founding fathers of the prestigious Akhbar el-Youm newspaper, doing drawings often accompanied by his own poetrys. His painting "The Eighth Wonder", depicting the transportation of the temple of Ramses II to Abu Simbel is widely regarded as a classic of modern Egyptian painting.

Bikar was honoured with several awards including, the Golden Medal of Honor from the Industrial and Agriculture Exhibition in 1949, the Medal of Arts and Science in 1967, Gamal Abdel Nasser Prize in 1975, the State of Merit Award in 1978, the Merit Medal in 1980, and shortly before his death in 2000, Mubarak Award.

Adept at drawing for children, Bicar also became a foreign correspondent who wrote and illustrated stories of his travels. He produced sketches of news and feature subjects when photography was not common in his homeland. In his later years, Bicar was better known for painting portraits, particularly of women. He also wrote criticism and taught for many years at Cairo's Fine Arts Academy.

Bicar's distinction as an artist lies in the economy and terseness of his compositions; his ability to apply pure and simple lines to landscape and anatomy was central to the sense enigma and quiet mystery surrounding his paintings. Stylized, and heavily influenced by his career as an illustrator, Bicar's works are imbued with a palpable mystique.