Lot 349: Louai Kayali (Syria, 1934-1978) The Fisherman

signed and dated '76' in Arabic lower right, oil on canvas, mounted
93 x 73 cm.

The Arab world's most important socio-political artist, Kayali became best known for his paintings of simple folk going about their daily business, their suffering and fatalism conveyed through their eyes and mannerisms. His own mental suffering led him to personalise these figures, and these works are from the period in which he painted some of his finest works, in seclusion, in Aleppo. These also belong to the last phase of his life: in 1978 Kayali committed suicide.