Private Collection, Beirut. The authenticity of this work has been confirmed by the Paul Guiragossian Foundation, Beirut. We thank the Foundation for their assisstance.
Lot 20
La Première Leçon
1976-1977
Estimate:
$40,000 - $60,000
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Location
Beirut, Lebanon
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ABOUT Paul Guiragossian
Paul Guiragossian is a Lebanese modern master. Born in 1926 in Jerusalem to survivors of the Armenian Genocide he experienced the impact of exile from a very early age. In the late 1940s, Paul Guiragossian’s family settled in Lebanon, and the artist began teaching art in private sessions and schools. The artist was soon after discovered for his...
— Read more about Paul Guiragossian
About this artwork
In a composition typical of Lebanon’s most celebrated painter’s renowned figurative work, the painting for sale at auction has two boys as its subjects that are somehow so entwined that they almost appear as one. Huddled one behind the other in a large chair, heads bent, the youngsters are pored over a book, one in traditional white clothing, with the viewer acutely aware of their concentration. Yet even though we can sense their studiousness, there is something playful about the two protagonists, perhaps their proximity to each other or cross-legged posture, which adds a light-hearted touch
to a scene full of intensity.
Born in Jerusalem in 1926 to survivors of the Armenian genocide, Paul Guiragossian moved to Lebanon with his family in 1947-48. His talent for art was evident early on and was noticed by other children, as he recalled: “I began to draw when I was seven years of age. There were children who used to play with their paper kites in their gardens amongst the olive trees […] they would ask me to draw on the paper that they would use for their kites. They used to like my kites best as they were full with many colors.”
Guiragossian was awarded a scholarship to study at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence. He also spent time in Paris, before returning to Beirut. Guiragossian was obsessed with the human form, creating his figures in vibrant colours in paintings that are marked by force, beauty and sentience. In 1974, Paul lost his leg in an elevator accident and subsequently had to endure multiple surgeries both in Beirut and in Chicago, US. He returned to Lebanon in 1975 and his recovery until the end of 1976 prevented him from painting large paintings, therefore he was only able to produce small pieces and didn’t do any significant solo exhibitions until 1977.
“La Premiere Leçon” was one of the few available works in his studio, which the current owner was able to purchase. The larger size of this work means that the artist was able to produce while he was adapting to his new disability.
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