Paintings by Mahmoud Said top Christie's sale

Sales at Christie's Dubai auction of Modern and Contemporary Arab, Iranian and Turkish Art reached $3,640,100 on Tuesday. Bidders from 13 countries purchased 29 paintings by artists from a total of eight Middle Eastern countries. Topping the sale was Pecheurs à Rosette by Mahmoud Saïd, painted in 1941. The painting is a snapshot of authentic life by the Nile, with fishermen diligently unloading their catch. Pêcheurs à Rosette was acquired for $818,500 (estimated at $400,000-600,000). Egyptian artist Gazbia Sirry is one of five artists to set a record this October, alongside Hayv Kahraman, Ramazan Bayrakoglu, Shirazeh Houshiary and Timo Nasseri with 50 per cent of their works sold above their highest estimate. Michael Jeha, managing director of Christie’s Middle East, said: “We are delighted by the strong results that were witnessed in the saleroom today and the market reacted extremely positively to the masters of Middle Eastern art and attracted a lot of interest which resulted in 50 per cent of the lots selling above high estimate." Part II of the Modern and Contemporary Arab, Iranian and Turkish Art sale takes place Wednesday, 24 October at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel. From / Ahram Online