THE BUFFALO AND THE FLIES - VERSO; FLIES AND THE BUFFALO - RECTO
signed and dated in English R.AYAD / c.1965 lower left - recto; signed and dated in English R.AYAD / c.1965 lower centre - verso
ink and watercolour on paper
47 x 67cm; 18 1/2 x 26 1/4in
71 x 90cm; 28 x 35 1/2in (framed)

Provenance
Collection of Dr Mohammed Said Farsi
Thence by descent

Literature
Dr Sobhy Al Sharouny, A Museum in a Book, Cairo, 1998, pp. 74, 80 and 81, illustrated

Ragheb Ayad is celebrated as one of Egypt's most independent and boldest of the First Generation of artists. He is particularly remembered for his spontaneous style of painting, which borders on caricature. A talented draughtsman, he chose to depict scenes of popular culture with raw emotion and honesty, including the fellaheen and their daily domestic village life, as well as desert monasteries and monks.

After training, both in Cairo and abroad in Rome, where from 1922 he studied with fellow Egyptian artist, Youssef Kamel, mutually supporting each other financially and in friendship, he returned to Cairo in 1930 to commence an illustrious career as a teacher and curator at many renowned institutions in addition to serving on many government committees. Appointed Department Head at the Higher School of Fine Arts in 1942, he was chosen to organise the Coptic Museum in Old Cairo and subsequently became the Curator of the Cairo Modern Museum from 1950 to 1955.

During his liftetime, Ragheb Ayad held over 40 exhibitions in Egypt and abroad and his works are held in private Egyptian and international collections, as well as institutions such as the Modern Egyptian Museum, Cairo; the Agricultural Museum in Dokki and the Museum of Fine Arts, Alexandria. Additionally, his murals adorn the walls of churches, hotels and former palaces in Egypt.