Modern Egyptian art emerged as a stand-out sector during Islamic Week. The leading lot of Sotheby’s 20th Century Art/Middle East sale was a work by pioneering painter Mahmoud Said (1897-1964), dubbed the father of Egyptian modernism.
Said’s depiction of Adam and Eve made its auction debut on April 24, selling to an anonymous buyer for £520,000 against a £300,000-500,000 estimate. That set the highest price achieved for a nude painting by the artist.
The 2ft 7in x 22in (79 x 56cm) oil on panel, showing two imposing figures within a lush desert oasis, was a daring work when it was painted in 1937 and is one of only three pieces that explore a couple’s relationship in Said’s entire oeuvre.