A Love Letter to Beirut

Sotheby’s has an upcoming London auction devoted to artists from or inspired by Lebanon’s capital, and Dubai is getting a preview in the form of a selection of the works that will be in the sale. The full complement includes work from nearly 50 artists; around 30 of them are actually Lebanese, the others are from Iraq, Egypt, Syria and Palestine. We don’tknow exactly how many or who will be shown at Sotheby’s Dubai, but we’re told the highlights of the auction include paintings, watercolours, mixed-media and sculptures by the likes of Etel Adnan, Huguette Caland, Ayman Baalbaki, Mona Saudi, Aref El Rayess and Saloua Raouda Choucair.

Follow the abbreviated Dubai show (26 February to 1 March) the exhibition moves to New Bond Street from 19-22 April in advance of the sale on 23 April.

Also on exhibition at the same are a couple of pieces from Sotheby’s bi-annual Modern & Contemporary Middle East auction (London, 23 April), notably two rare paintings by Bahman Mohasses from 1964.

Above: Mahmoud Saïd, Maisons à Aïtanit (1951). Estimate: £55,000-65,000. Image courtesy Sotheby’s