Lot 13: NOURI AL-RAWI (IRAQI, 1925-2014), ABSTRACT ARCHITECTURAL COMPOSITION, OIL ON CANVAS, 2009

Depict a vibrant, semi-abstract architectural cityscape. The composition features stylised elements such as domes, arched windows, and towers, rendered in a modernist style. The artist employs a rich colour palette of purples, blues, and ochres, punctuated by vivid accents of red and green. The work is characterised by its textured surface, featuring layered scumbling and areas of thick impasto, particularly on the rounded forms of the domes. The painting bears multiple inscriptions: it is signed and dated in Latin script in the lower-left corner as N. AL RAWI 2009; it features a vertical Arabic signature and date 11/5 / 2009 on the lower right; and a poetic inscription in Arabic on a golden-hued panel at the far right that reads, لقد أحببتك قبل أن يُخلق القلب (I loved you before the heart was created). The painting is housed in a contemporary gilded wood frame with a neutral-toned linen inner slip.

Provenance: Private middle eastern collection

80 by 54cm