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The
History of a Period
This is a composition in the form of a lozenge or reversed V’s. Forms of great subtlety lead the eye in circles to the center of the canvas, where the hero may be seen lying in his shroud, the Lebanese flag, for he has given his life for his nation. A vast crowd occupies two-thirds of the work. The upper third is taken up by a large building, for here is the Lebanese University, the School of Fine Arts, with a mournful blue sky above. One sees flags and banners white and green, with a golden cross in the center, for this is a Christian burial taking place in the East Side of Beirut, of course, for this last war was a fratricidal one between national elements and forces of evil and treachery. The tones are warm, with reds predominating. The whole crowd is united in one great mass. When contemplating this canvas one feels absorbed into one wide communion of patriotism, each one of us becoming a component of the work. The Cry of a Father (73 x 54 cm - 1990)
Following circular lines, this work turns full of movement around a central motif. It is a figurative conception: a father carries the body of a beloved child bathed in its blood. In the foreground are some corpses stretched out or squatting on the ground which has become an altar of sacrifice. There is a mother seated and weeping, flags in the distant background, and a child running close to its father. The whole forms a sphere of human warmth, of love, of emotion and mutual succor. The tones are a range of warm ochres, with a subtle red intervening everywhere. The artist has been able to give expression to his feelings while playing with the docile material in his hands. >> Eighth Page << |
