Lot 27: Ismael Al-Sheikhly (Iraqi, 1924-2002)

Ismael Al-Sheikhly (Iraqi, 1924-2002)
Watermelon Sellers
signed and dated 'I.AL.CHEKHLI 58'and in Arabic (lower right); signed and titled in Arabic (on the reverse)
oil on canvas
31 x 38½in.(79.5 x 97.5cm.)
Painted in 1958

Belgrade, Masarikova 4, Savremena Iracka Umentnost, Komisja Za Kulturne Veze Sa Inonstranstvom, March-April 1960 (illustrated on the cover of the brochure)

PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE COLLECTION, UAE

The present lot is an outstanding early example of the work of Ismael Al-Shaikhly. Depicting watermelon sellers in traditional dress, the composititon, with its subtle yet insistent emphasis on the curvilinear versus the straight line, is clearly related to the style of Jewad Selim, as is the subject of the watermelon itself, yet the combination of strong abstract geometry with realistic detail is something new in Iraqi painting.

The quality of this painting was recognized at the time, and it was exhibited in Belgrade in the former Yugoslavia (now Serbia) in a travelling exhibition of Iraqi art in 1960.