Footnotes

Provenance:
Property from a prestigious private collection of Iraqi Art, Europe

Published:
Salam Atta Sabri, Mary Angela Schroth, Longing for Eternity: One Century of Modern and Contemporary Iraqi Art, Skira, Milan 2014

"To the ancient Babylonians and Sumerians, the garden was more than a cultivated space—it was a reflection of paradise itself, a sacred mirror of divine harmony"

This rare work by Suad Al-Attar from 1970 is a remarkable example of her early Baghdad period, a time before she relocated to London in 1976. Pieces from this era are exceptionally rare, and this particular painting from the Paradise Garden series encapsulates her exploration of paradise and its symbolism, deeply rooted in Iraq's cultural history.

Al-Attar's vision of paradise draws connections to the legendary gardens of Eden, historically tied to Mesopotamia, as well as the gardens of Sumer, Akkad, and Ancient Persia, where green spaces symbolized a connection to divine tranquillity and abundance. In this lush, dream-like composition, Al-Attar's world is an escape into an alternative, idyllic reality where the soul can find solace. Palm trees, and intricate flora are juxtaposed with symbols of beauty such as birds and horses, evoking a sense of lost paradise while reflecting her deep connection to Iraq's cultural heritage.

Suad Al-Attar, born in Baghdad in 1942, studied under the renowned Jewad Selim and was part of the Baghdad Modern Art Group during the early 1960s. In 1965, she became the first woman to hold a solo exhibition in Baghdad, breaking new ground in the Iraqi art world. Her early works, including this pre-1976 piece, carry the influence of Baghdadi art traditions and the medieval artist Al-Wasiti, whose works also inspired Jewad Selim.

After obtaining degrees in Baghdad and California and further studies in London, she returned to Iraq, where she actively exhibited and taught before her eventual relocation to the UK. Today, her works remain vital to understanding Iraq's artistic narrative, residing in major collections including Mathaf in Doha and UK institutions, but this work stands as a rare and exquisite link to her early explorations of paradise and Iraq's storied artistic legacy.