Moustafa Farroukh ( ar, مصطفى فروخ; 1901 – 1957) was one of

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...

's most prominent painters of the 20th century. During his famed career, Farroukh produced over 2000 paintings most of which were acquired by collectors both in Lebanon and abroad. He also wrote five books including a biography.

Career

He was formally trained in

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and graduated in 1927 from Rome's Royal College of Fine Arts. He proceeded to

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

and continued further studies under the guidance of Paul Émile Chabas, the president of the Society of French Artists and many other French artists. Over his prosperous career, he exhibited in venues from

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and

Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...

. In his Studio in Beirut, he established a permanent exhibition of his artwork in 1932. His work was applauded for its representation of real life in Lebanon in pictures of the country, its people and its customs. He travelled through

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in the early 1930s where his appreciation of Arabic art and architecture had a long-lasting effect on his artistic touch. He produced several paintings representing the Arab legacy in Spain. Farroukh became highly regarded as a Lebanese national painter at a time when Lebanon was asserting its political independence. His art captured the spirit and character of the Lebanese people and he became recognized as the outstanding Lebanese painter of his generation. Most of his paintings were portraits, landmarks, or scenery from his homeland Lebanon. Along with artists,

Omar Onsi Omar Onsi (1901–1969) ( ar, عمر أنسي); was a pioneer of modern painting in Lebanon and Lebanon's most renowned impressionist painter. He was born in Tallet Al-Khayat, Beirut in 1901. His father, Dr. Abdul Rahman El Ounsi, was a prominent ...

(1901–1969),

César Gemayel César Gemayel (b. 1898 Ain al Touffaha near Bikfaya, Ottoman Empire; died in Beirut, Lebanon in 1958) was a notable Lebanese painter, who helped to lay the foundations of a modern Lebanese art movement. Life and career Gemayel received his ...

(Qaisarr Jumayil) (1898–1958), Saliba Douaihy (Saliba Duwaihi) (born 1915) and Rachid Wehbi (Rachid Wahbah) (born 1917), Farroukh is regarded as a pioneer, having laid the foundations for a modern arts movement in Lebanon. These artists established an originality and freedom of expression that had never before been seen in Lebanon. In 1950, as a tribute to his work, Farroukh's name was chosen for listing in Benezit, the world's renowned collection for bibliographical art reference. Farroukh also wrote five books and taught art at the American University of Beirut and lectured in various academies. He joined the group of philosophers, thinkers, and men and women of literature who lectured in the renowned "Al Nadwa" gatherings or "Le Cénacle Libanais". In 1974, he was portrayed on a Lebanese airmail postage stamp in recognition of his work.

Selected exhibitions

Group exhibitions

* Art from Lebanon, Beirut Exhibition Center, 2012 * De Lumière et de Sang, Foundation Audi, Beirut, 2010

Distinctions

Order of Merit (Lebanon) The Order of Merit (french: link=no, Ordre du Mérite) is an order of merit for the Commonwealth realms, recognising distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or for the promotion of culture. Established in 1902 by Ki ...

1954 * Order of the Cedar

References

External links

M. Farroukh MuseumMoustafa Farroukh at Kaftoun
{{DEFAULTSORT:Farroukh, Moustafa 1901 births 1957 deaths Recipients of the Order of Merit (Lebanon) Recipients of the National Order of the Cedar 20th-century Lebanese painters Lebanese expatriates in Italy