Saliba Douaihy

(Lebanon, 1915-1994)

Blue Abstract

Footnotes

A rare and outstanding abstract composition by Saliba Douaihy from his major 1978 retrospective at the North Carolina Museum, coming directly from the artists family

Provenance:
Property from the collection of the artist, thence by descent to his grand-nephew Dr Milad Douaihi, formerly on temporary loan to the North Carolina Museum Of Art (Collection Reference: TL.76.4.3)

Published:
The Art of Saliba Douaihy, A Retrospective Exhibition, North Carolina Museum of Art Raleigh, 1978 (illustrated)

"Colour is a plastic means of creating intervals... what counts is its use, not its manufacture." - Barnett Newman

Bonhams are proud to be offering an exceptional, large format, published, abstract painting from one of Lebanon's leading 20th Century artists Saliba Douaihy. Exhibited at the artists landmark 1978 show at the North Carolina Museum, the work is a testament to the critical international acclaim Douaihy received after his transition to hard edge painting.

Matched by an impeccable provenance, having been on loan to the North Carolina Museum, the work was then passed to the artists nephew, Dr Milad Douaihy, an esteemed professor at the Sorbonne from whose collection it now comes to auction.

Born in northern Lebanon within the small town of Ehden, Douaihy was seen as having a talent for the arts from an early age, which led to him being heavily encouraged to develop his craft. Douaihy's work transformed throughout his life, from early works following classical landscape paintings depicting Lebanese villages, to later works such as "Blue Abstract" following ideas and themes from American Abstract expressionism and Formalism. His body of work involves radical changes and refined artistic instinct. The present work dates from the culmination of his period, when he was selected by the North Carolina museum to stage a major retrospective.

"Blue Abstract" from the artists Hard Edge period is an exquisite yet minimalist work. Only five colours are found in the composition, Red, Blue, Yellow, Orange and Green. Each colour is applied to the canvas in precise lines as geometric shapes. The canvas is dominated by a monolithic swathe of azure blue engulfing the work. It leads the viewers eye to the outer edges of the work. Two rich segments of red and a single yellow shape act as barriers to either side of the plane. A lighter marine blue segment darts through the right hand side cutting the outer yellow away from the mass of blue

The application of the paint within the simplistic composition can allude to a lack of perspective in some works. Here it does the opposite. Douaihy uses colour theory and precise geometric shapes to create the feeling of depth and dimension.

Douaihy was awarded a grant from the Lebanese government to study abroad. He studied in New York and was introduced to the energetic and modern art scene. This was an integral part to his future themes and his 'Hard edge' series of abstract, minimalist paintings. Rothko and Hans Hoffman were important acquaintances as they were masters of colour theory, knowing how to extract depth from colour with very simplistic compositions.

Douaihy became attuned to the ideas of formalism from his readings on Immanuel Kant. This inspired many parts of this work. These influences led to this dedication of hard-edged shapes depicted as flat surfaces. Douaihy's stance encapsulates the ideas and values that influenced all later pieces by him. The painting demonstrates his mastery of the minimalist aesthetic as well as the two fundamental aspects in formalist painting: colour and shape.

"Blue Abstract" is truly a compositional masterpiece. Douaihy emphasises the compositional elements along with the purest idea of colour theory that creates the spectacular depth within this work. The work epitomises why he is a true pioneer of Arab Modernism.

Douaihy participated in many exhibitions including the Salon Des Artistes Francais, Paris (1934); the New York fair; the Guggenheim Museum; the Salons des Realites Nouvelle, Paris; the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and University Art Gallery, New York. Douaihy won many prizes and awards. They included the Lebanses National Ord of the cedar (1956), the Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts Award (1968) and the Medaglia d'Oro of the Accademia d'Itlia dello Arte e del Lavoro (1980).