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Zeinab El Sagini (Egypt, born 1930) The Siesta image 1
Zeinab El Sagini (Egypt, born 1930) The Siesta image 2
Zeinab El Sagini (Egypt, born 1930) The Siesta image 3
Works from the AbdulMagid Breish Collection
Lot 35*

Zeinab El Sagini
(Egypt, born 1930)
The Siesta

13 November 2024, 14:00 GMT
London, New Bond Street

Sold for £38,400 inc. premium

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Zeinab El Sagini (Egypt, born 1930)

The Siesta
oil on canvas, framed
signed "Zeinab El Sagini" in Arabic (lower right), executed in 2006
100 x 100cm (39 3/8 x 39 3/8in).

Footnotes

Provenance:
Property from the collection of AbdulMagid Breish, London

Published:
Louisa Macmillan, Mysa Kafil-Hussain et others, In Vested Interests: from Passion to Patronage, The AbdulMagid Breish Collection of Arab Art, Skira, Milan, 2020

Part of a series entitled The Presence of Place, this painting by Zeinab al-Sageny explores time, specifically memories of childhood in the context of the Egyptian countryside. With rolling hills and fields, animals and pyramids in the distance, a child lies across her despondent mother, perhaps taking a break from working the fields, animals and crops. Lying in the sun, at the foot of a beautifully conceived and delicately painted tree, these figures exude a sense of exhaustion as well as innocence, especially on the part of the child. A chicken sits on the mother's shoulder, facing the child and spreading its wings, symbolising a desire for freedom. For Sageny, the "presence of place" is embodied by the surrounding peaceful atmosphere, small intricate details, and the distant view. The fact that the child is stuck in a particular time and place contributes to her nostalgia and longing for a time gone by.
-Mysa Kafil-Hussain

Additional information

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