01 Work, Middle East Artists, THE ART OF WAR, Ismail Shammout's Memories and a Firebrand, with Footnotes #82

Ismail Shammout

Memories and a Firebrand, c. 1956
Fine Art Digital Print

40 x 29.5 cm 

Private collection

Shammout always made it a point to never cease depicting the Palestinian exodus in his work. Living under harsh conditions and haunting experiences, as a child he was forced to flee from his home during the Nakba of 1948 and traveled on foot to settle in a refugee camp. He documented that march of death, exhaustion, and thirst in several paintings executed in the 1950s. In his works, the struggle of living under occupation is highlighted with forlorn figures resting in darkness or clinging to one another while they journey across barren land. His own memories of displacement and death are infused with his paintings, depicting the struggle of Palestinians with dark shadows that speak of loss, and children who sit alone in contemplation. Shammout’s works can be regarded as iconic for the Palestinian people. It visually symbolized the very struggles and experiences living under occupation, showcasing not only the memories he carried but for those who are currently living under it to this day. More on this work

Ismail Shammout (1930 – 2006) was a Palestinian artist and art historian.

Shammout was born in 1930 in Lydda. On July 12, 1948, he and his family were amongst 25,000 residents of Lydda expelled from their homes by Israeli occupation. The Shammout family moved to the Gaza refugee camp of Khan-Younes. In 1950 Shammout went to Cairo and enrolled in the College of Fine Arts. After returning to Gaza in 1953, he held his first exhibition, which was a success.

Shammout and Palestinian artist Tamam al Akhal participated in the Palestine Exhibition of 1954 in Cairo. The exhibition was inaugurated by then Egyptian President Gamal Abdul Nasser. Later in 1954, he moved to Italy and enrolled at the Academia De Belle Arti in Rome. He married al Akhal in 1959. Their work has been exhibited in several countries.

Shammout became a part of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the Director of Arts and National Culture in 1965. He also held the position of Secretary General of the Union of Palestinian Artists. He became Secretary General of the Union of Arab artists in 1969. In 1992 he and his wife, al Akhal, moved to Germany due to the Gulf War. After Germany, they settled in Jordan.

He and Al Akhal, returned to Lydda in 1997.

He died on July 1, 2006, at the age of seventy-six. More on Ismail Shammout

Please visit my other blogs: Art Collector, Mythology, Marine Art, Portrait of a Lady, The Orientalist, Art of the Nude and The Canals of Venice, Middle East Artists, 365 Saints, 365 Days, and Biblical Icons, also visit my Boards on Pinterest and deviantart

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I don't own any of these images - credit is always given when due unless it is unknown to me. if I post your images without your permission, please tell me.

I do not sell art, art prints, framed posters or reproductions. Ads are shown only to compensate the hosting expenses.

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01 Painting, Middle East Artists, The Art of War, Ismail Shammout's The wounded, with Footnotes #77

Ismail Shammout (1930 – 2006) 

The wounded, c. 1964

Oil on canvas

Private collection

Young Palestinian holding a bleeding dove looking back with grief

Ismail Shammout (1930 – 2006) was a Palestinian artist and art historian.

Shammout was born in 1930 in Lydda. On July 12, 1948, he and his family were amongst 25,000 residents of Lydda expelled from their homes by Israeli occupation. The Shammout family moved to the Gaza refugee camp of Khan-Younes. In 1950 Shammout went to Cairo and enrolled in the College of Fine Arts. After returning to Gaza in 1953, he held his first exhibition, which was a success.

Shammout and Palestinian artist Tamam al Akhal participated in the Palestine Exhibition of 1954 in Cairo. The exhibition was inaugurated by then Egyptian President Gamal Abdul Nasser. Later in 1954, he moved to Italy and enrolled at the Academia De Belle Arti in Rome. He married al Akhal in 1959. Their work has been exhibited in several countries.

Shammout became a part of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the Director of Arts and National Culture in 1965. He also held the position of Secretary General of the Union of Palestinian Artists. He became Secretary General of the Union of Arab artists in 1969. In 1992 he and his wife, al Akhal, moved to Germany due to the Gulf War. After Germany, they settled in Jordan.

He and Al Akhal, returned to Lydda in 1997.

He died on July 1, 2006, at the age of seventy-six. More on Ismail Shammout

Please visit my other blogs: Art Collector, Mythology, Marine Art, Portrait of a Lady, The Orientalist, Art of the Nude and The Canals of Venice, Middle East Artists, 365 Saints, 365 Days, and Biblical Icons, also visit my Boards on Pinterest

Images are copyright of their respective owners, assignees or others. Some Images may be subject to copyright

I don't own any of these images - credit is always given when due unless it is unknown to me. if I post your images without your permission, please tell me.

I do not sell art, art prints, framed posters or reproductions. Ads are shown only to compensate the hosting expenses.

If you enjoyed this post, please share with friends and family.

Thank you for visiting my blog and also for liking its posts and pages.

Please note that the content of this post primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online.

01 Painting, Middle East Artists, The Art of War, Ismail Shammout's Massirat Sha'ab (Odyssey of a People), with Footnotes #76

Ismail Shammout (Palestinian, 1931-2006)

Massirat Sha'ab (Odyssey of a People), c. 1980

Oil on canvas

40 ¾ x 237 ¾in. (103.5 x 604cm.)

Private collection

Estimate for USD 800,000 – USD 900,000 in March 2017

‘The painting was not just a means to beautifying one’s life, albeit essential in such a harsh and agonizing environment, but it was an expression of hope, an embodiment of the Palestinian wound, a mirror reflecting the Palestinians yearning for salvation and return.’ (The artist quoted in I. Shammout, Art in Palestine, Kuwait 1989, p. 11).

Ismail Shammout (1930 – 2006) was a Palestinian artist and art historian.

Shammout was born in 1930 in Lydda. On July 12, 1948, he and his family were amongst 25,000 residents of Lydda expelled from their homes by Israeli occupation. The Shammout family moved to the Gaza refugee camp of Khan-Younes. In 1950 Shammout went to Cairo and enrolled in the College of Fine Arts. After returning to Gaza in 1953, he held his first exhibition, which was a success.

Shammout and Palestinian artist Tamam al Akhal participated in the Palestine Exhibition of 1954 in Cairo. The exhibition was inaugurated by then Egyptian President Gamal Abdul Nasser. Later in 1954, he moved to Italy and enrolled at the Academia De Belle Arti in Rome. He married al Akhal in 1959. Their work has been exhibited in several countries.

Shammout became a part of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the Director of Arts and National Culture in 1965. He also held the position of Secretary General of the Union of Palestinian Artists. He became Secretary General of the Union of Arab artists in 1969. In 1992 he and his wife, al Akhal, moved to Germany due to the Gulf War. After Germany, they settled in Jordan.

He and Al Akhal, returned to Lydda in 1997.

He died on July 1, 2006, at the age of seventy-six. More on Ismail Shammout

Please visit my other blogs: Art Collector, Mythology, Marine Art, Portrait of a Lady, The Orientalist, Art of the Nude and The Canals of Venice, Middle East Artists, 365 Saints, 365 Days, and Biblical Icons, also visit my Boards on Pinterest and deviantart

Images are copyright of their respective owners, assignees or others. Some Images may be subject to copyright

I don't own any of these images - credit is always given when due unless it is unknown to me. if I post your images without your permission, please tell me.

I do not sell art, art prints, framed posters or reproductions. Ads are shown only to compensate the hosting expenses.

If you enjoyed this post, please share with friends and family.

Thank you for visiting my blog and also for liking its posts and pages.

Please note that the content of this post primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online.

01 Painting, Middle East Artists, The Art of War, Ismail Shammout's Nahnou bi Kheyr, Taminouna/ We Are in Good Health, Reassure Us, with Footnotes #69

Ismail Shammout (Palestinian, 1931-2006)

Nahnou bi Kheyr, Taminouna (We Are in Good Health, Reassure Us), c. 1976

Oil on canvas

39 3/8 x 27½in. (98 x 68.5cm)

Private collection

Sold for USD 161,000 in Mar 2015

The present lot Nahnou bi Kheir, Taminouna (We are in Good Health, Reassure us) from 1976, is seminal example from the artist's earlier works. Shammout's raw depiction of the Palestinian refugee experience was a recurring motif in his paintings and as such the present work illustrates a Palestinian refugee family in a typical Gaza residence, cramped in their present dwelling. Filled with Palestinian symbolism, Shammout illustrates the determination of his people to regain their homeland through symbolic references borrowed from verbal images that he introduces in his painting's title. The title itself was a common phrase in the days of telegrams that became a signature sign off for Arabic radio programmes in the 1960s and 1970s, particular for people in war zones such as Palestine, that listed names of the families or individuals who wanted to reassure their relatives of their safety.

With this in mind, Shammout captures a seemingly widowed mother, like countless others, who has inherited the responsibility of solely caring for her family. She is proudly dressed in traditional Palestinian attire and is flanked by her three young children who are clinging to her. While the children seem timid and lost, the mother's expression is blank, subtly insinuating the suffering that she has already experienced in her lifetime. In the background, an elderly couple is forlornly in mourning. The walls are adorned with portraits of family members presumably both dead and alive and religious Islamic relics. While each member of the family is absorbed in their own emotion, there is an undeniable sense of unity and defiance. The artist has utilised deep, rich colours to uniquely achieve the sense of simultaneous tragedy yet tranquillity. More on this painting

Ismail Shammout (1930 – 2006) was a Palestinian artist and art historian.

Shammout was born in 1930 in Lydda. On July 12, 1948, he and his family were amongst 25,000 residents of Lydda expelled from their homes by Israeli occupation. The Shammout family moved to the Gaza refugee camp of Khan-Younes. In 1950 Shammout went to Cairo and enrolled in the College of Fine Arts. After returning to Gaza in 1953, he held his first exhibition, which was a success.

Shammout and Palestinian artist Tamam al Akhal participated in the Palestine Exhibition of 1954 in Cairo. The exhibition was inaugurated by then Egyptian President Gamal Abdul Nasser. Later in 1954, he moved to Italy and enrolled at the Academia De Belle Arti in Rome. He married al Akhal in 1959. Their work has been exhibited in several countries.

Shammout became a part of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the Director of Arts and National Culture in 1965. He also held the position of Secretary General of the Union of Palestinian Artists. He became Secretary General of the Union of Arab artists in 1969. In 1992 he and his wife, al Akhal, moved to Germany due to the Gulf War. After Germany, they settled in Jordan.

He and Al Akhal, returned to Lydda in 1997.

He died on July 1, 2006, at the age of seventy-six. More on Ismail Shammout

Please visit my other blogs: Art Collector, Mythology, Marine Art, Portrait of a Lady, The Orientalist, Art of the Nude and The Canals of Venice, Middle East Artists, 365 Saints, 365 Days, and Biblical Icons, also visit my Boards on Pinterest

Images are copyright of their respective owners, assignees or others. Some Images may be subject to copyright

I don't own any of these images - credit is always given when due unless it is unknown to me. if I post your images without your permission, please tell me.

I do not sell art, art prints, framed posters or reproductions. Ads are shown only to compensate the hosting expenses.

If you enjoyed this post, please share with friends and family.

Thank you for visiting my blog and also for liking its posts and pages.

Please note that the content of this post primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online.

01 Painting, Middle East Artists, The Art of War, Ismail Shammout's Thirst, A part of the original mural “The Road To Nowhere”, with Footnotes #76

Ismail Shammout

Thirst, c. 1998

A part of the original mural “The Road To Nowhere”

Oil on canvas

60 x 50

Private collection

"We came and turned the native Arabs into tragic refugees.  And still we dare to slander and malign them, to besmirch their name.  Instead of being deeply ashamed of what we did and trying to undo some of the evil we committed . . . we justify our terrible acts and even attempt to glorify them".  Nathan Chofshi

Ismail Shammout (1930 – 2006) was a Palestinian artist and art historian.

Shammout was born in 1930 in Lydda. On July 12, 1948, he and his family were amongst 25,000 residents of Lydda expelled from their homes by Israeli occupation. The Shammout family moved to the Gaza refugee camp of Khan-Younes. In 1950 Shammout went to Cairo and enrolled in the College of Fine Arts. After returning to Gaza in 1953, he held his first exhibition, which was a success.

Shammout and Palestinian artist Tamam al Akhal participated in the Palestine Exhibition of 1954 in Cairo. The exhibition was inaugurated by then Egyptian President Gamal Abdul Nasser. Later in 1954, he moved to Italy and enrolled at the Academia De Belle Arti in Rome. He married al Akhal in 1959. Their work has been exhibited in several countries.

Shammout became a part of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the Director of Arts and National Culture in 1965. He also held the position of Secretary General of the Union of Palestinian Artists. He became Secretary General of the Union of Arab artists in 1969. In 1992 he and his wife, al Akhal, moved to Germany due to the Gulf War. After Germany, they settled in Jordan.

He and Al Akhal, returned to Lydda in 1997.

He died on July 1, 2006, at the age of seventy-six. More on Ismail Shammout

Please visit my other blogs: Art Collector, Mythology, Marine Art, Portrait of a Lady, The Orientalist, Art of the Nude and The Canals of Venice, Middle East Artists, 365 Saints, 365 Days, and Biblical Icons, also visit my Boards on Pinterest

Images are copyright of their respective owners, assignees or others. Some Images may be subject to copyright

I don't own any of these images - credit is always given when due unless it is unknown to me. if I post your images without your permission, please tell me.

I do not sell art, art prints, framed posters or reproductions. Ads are shown only to compensate the hosting expenses.

If you enjoyed this post, please share with friends and family.

Thank you for visiting my blog and also for liking its posts and pages.

Please note that the content of this post primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online.

01 Painting, Middle East Artists, The Art of War, Ismail Shammout's Guardian of the fire, with Footnotes #76

Ismail Shammout

Guardian of the fire, c. 1988

Women giving refuge and protection to the children of Intifada

Oil on canvas

120 x 90

Private collection

The first Palestinian Intifada (uprising) began in December 1987, and continued unabated until the peace talks in Madrid in 1992. 

The historical and ideological underpinnings of the sufferings endured by the Palestinian people as a whole- including the occupation of land, military violence, continued oppression, and structural discrimination- prevent many from acknowledging or examining Israel's specific violence against Palestinian women. Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian

"We came and turned the native Arabs into tragic refugees.  And still we dare to slander and malign them, to besmirch their name.  Instead of being deeply ashamed of what we did and trying to undo some of the evil we committed . . . we justify our terrible acts and even attempt to glorify them".  Nathan Chofshi

Ismail Shammout (1930 – 2006) was a Palestinian artist and art historian.

Shammout was born in 1930 in Lydda. On July 12, 1948, he and his family were amongst 25,000 residents of Lydda expelled from their homes by Israeli occupation. The Shammout family moved to the Gaza refugee camp of Khan-Younes. In 1950 Shammout went to Cairo and enrolled in the College of Fine Arts. After returning to Gaza in 1953, he held his first exhibition, which was a success.

Shammout and Palestinian artist Tamam al Akhal participated in the Palestine Exhibition of 1954 in Cairo. The exhibition was inaugurated by then Egyptian President Gamal Abdul Nasser. Later in 1954, he moved to Italy and enrolled at the Academia De Belle Arti in Rome. He married al Akhal in 1959. Their work has been exhibited in several countries.

Shammout became a part of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the Director of Arts and National Culture in 1965. He also held the position of Secretary General of the Union of Palestinian Artists. He became Secretary General of the Union of Arab artists in 1969. In 1992 he and his wife, al Akhal, moved to Germany due to the Gulf War. After Germany, they settled in Jordan.

He and Al Akhal, returned to Lydda in 1997.

He died on July 1, 2006, at the age of seventy-six. More on Ismail Shammout

Please visit my other blogs: Art Collector, Mythology, Marine Art, Portrait of a Lady, The Orientalist, Art of the Nude and The Canals of Venice, Middle East Artists, 365 Saints, 365 Days, and Biblical Icons, also visit my Boards on Pinterest

Images are copyright of their respective owners, assignees or others. Some Images may be subject to copyright

I don't own any of these images - credit is always given when due unless it is unknown to me. if I post your images without your permission, please tell me.

I do not sell art, art prints, framed posters or reproductions. Ads are shown only to compensate the hosting expenses.

If you enjoyed this post, please share with friends and family.

Thank you for visiting my blog and also for liking its posts and pages.

Please note that the content of this post primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online.