Mahmoud Said

Collection of Mr. Georges Loiseau, Paris (acquired in the 1960s)
Thence by Descent 

Condition: This work is in very good condition. Some faint craquelure to the central right section of the painting. A minor restoration to the craquelure in that same area is noticeable under the UV light. The work can benefit from being reframed. Colours: The colours in the catalogue illustration are fairly accurate, with the original work being more vivid, bright and crisp.
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"The best way to know Alexandria is to wander aimlessly” 

E. M. Forster

There is no doubt that the city of Alexandria had a resounding effect on the oeuvre of Mahmoud Said. A native of this great city, a number of Said’s paintings revolving around the rough seas and fishermen can be attributed to his hometown.  Undeniably the most prominent example is La Pêche Miraculeuse from 1933, which is currently housed in the Egyptian Embassy in Washington D.C.  Like the ships in the foreground aimlessly wandering the rough seas for the catch of the day, this theme of the search and the catch is also depicted very strongly in the present work Le Retour de Pêche. This stunning painting by Said is emblematic of the Alexandrian fishermen, who to this day can be seen on the eastern harbour of Alexandria, preparing their wooden boats to take on the rough seas.

Le Retour de Pêche has an Impressionist feel both in terms of its plein-air quality as well as its superb ability in portraying a snapshot of a moment in time, both of which we observe throughout other esquisses by Said. The boats in the foreground are lost amongst the greenish-bluish heavy impasto of the seawater.  Here, Said depicts the turbulent Mediterranean Sea and the arduousness of the fishermen’s daily job. The fishermen appear to be effortlessly pulling the boat out with the day’s catch.  It is a scene of strength radiating from the waves on the sea to the sailboats to the hardworking men on the shore.

As one of the fathers of Egyptian modern art movement, Said is able to transport us back in time. The central focus of the inherently dynamic composition of Le Retour de Pêche is the upward facing boat filled with the day’s abundant catch. Was Said trying to demonstrate the prowess of the seas or the daily struggle of the Alexandrian fishermen? In that manner, this highly powerful and energetic work by Said can be compared to another seminal work by the Romanticist master Théodore Géricault painted in 1819, The Raft of the Medusa currently housed in Musée du Louvre in Paris.

Exhibited at the Salon of the same year, the well known 19th century painting depicts the struggle of the survivors of the shipwreck of the French frigate Méduse off the coast of Senegal in 1816. The compositional structure shows great similarity to Le Retour de Pêche cutting the canvas diagonally with a strong buildup of movement from the bottom to the top of the painting.

Thematically as well, one can see comparatives with this great masterpiece from the 19th century. As written in the catalogue of the Gericault exhibition at the Grand Palais in 1991-1992, “The painting stands as a synthetic view of human life abandoned to its fate.” In Le Retour de Pêche, we are witnessing another kind of human struggle with its fate, but one which is more honourable, rewarding and humane. The palette in Said’s painting is also much more vibrant reflecting the beauty behind this daily encounter with the sea. The blues and the greens of the waves and the striking whites of the sailboats stand in contrast with the tanned skins of the fishermen working skillfully alongside their peers in this historical seaside town. The Alexandrian sun is also subtly emanating throughout the canvas. The whole composition exudes incredible strength, vigour and movement above everything else.

Le Retour de Pêche is a multifaceted rendition of Said’s city Alexandria and an overwhelming homage to the artist’s home city. It is the first time this significant painting by the Egyptian modern master comes up for sale presenting a unique and rare opportunity for the art aficionado.