Salah Abdel Kerim

Mrs. Khaled Yehya, Cairo (acquired directly from the artist) 
Private Collection, Cairo (acquired directly from the above)

Sobhi El Sharouni, The Artist: Salah A Karim, Cairo, 1970, p. 4, illustrated 

This work is in good condition. Some various size hairline scratches to the wood and occasional scuffs to both sides of the sculpture. Some sign of light wear to the extremity of the 4 legs. Some surface irregularities to the edge of the face and minute dents to the back of the head. All the above in line with the artist creative process, choice of medium and age of the work.The varnish of the wood still remains in good condition. Colours: The colours in the catalogue illustration are accurate, with the overall wood colour being slightly brighter and vivid in the original work.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Sotheby’s is honoured to offer a unique sculpture The Bull, by the most renowned post-war Egyptian sculptor – Salah Abdel Kerim. Born in Fayoum, Egypt to a large family of five, Abdel Kerim was discovered by the late famed Egyptian painter Hussein Bikar in 1938. He pursued his art career and graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts with honours in 1948.

Salah Abdel Kerim can be regarded as the most fascinating sculptor and painter from post-war Egypt with his oeuvre revealing a multifaceted sensitivity to his surroundings. Through the dense muscles, the rough lines, the bones and the flesh of his sculptures, Salah dissects the anatomy of his subjects, similar to Italian master Leonardo Da Vinci's dissection of animal anatomy. His attention to detail is rooted in his childhood; where he spent most of his time collecting insects, birds and butterflies, which helped him tremendously to understand and decipher the anatomy of animals.

Greatly appreciated and frequently awarded throughout his lifetime, on 1957 he received the international prize in painting from San Vito Romano, Italy. In 1959 he received the first prize for sculpture at the Biennale of Alexandria. His artwork was not only showcased locally, but had an international exposure. In 1959 he would also receive an honorary merit for his sculpture The Fish from the São Paulo Biennial, Brazil. Like Hamed Ewais, Abdel Kerim is the second Egyptian artist to be given the prestigious award by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation in 1961 for his work Fighting Roosters.

As Pablo Picasso famously said; “When we discovered Cubism, we did not have the aim of discovering Cubism, we only wanted to express what was in us.” The Bull captures a similar desire by the artist to express the strength and the power of an animalistic force in a striking Cubist style. Abdel Kerim’s emphasis on clean lines and structure elucidates the forcefulness of the animal and the sturdiness of the material and is a testament to the artist’s extraordinary talent in sculpting. The present lot is one of the earliest works by this famed sculptor to ever come at auction and is unquestionably a collector’s item.