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Place des Martyres (paintings)

January 01, 1970

Place des Martyres is the title of a series of over 250 watercolors and drawings executed in New York and Beirut between 1971 and 1974 by Nabil Kanso.[1] The subjects of the works in the series are based on the women headquartered in the red-light district of Beirut city center called el Bourj, and after World War I[2] named Place des Martyrs (French for Martyrs’ Place)[3] in memory of dozens of Arab nationalists who were hanged in 1915-16 during Ottoman rule.[4]

Encounter, watercolor, 44X56cm, 1973

Watercolors edit

The watercolors in the Place des Martyres series consists of approximately 170 works in 3 sizes of 44x56cm, 35x51cm, and 31x41cm. They are characterized by transparent deep colors of red, orange, yellow, blue, and black embodying figurative imagery representing both real and imaginary scenes of the gaudy life in the city center district adjoining Place des Martyrs.

Painted in the atmosphere of pre-civil war Beirut, the compositions depict sexualized encounters and interactions of figures in various sensual situations and entertainment settings. They make references to works of such artists as Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec, Rouault, Kirchner, Nolde,[5] Laurencin and Pascin, whose “Sensual spirit seems to inspire the aquarelles and inhabit Kanso’s figures, which in a semi-erotic round, covet, touch, caress, move, and seem to emerge from a pagan fresco where time is consecrated to dance, perfume, and moments propitious to dialogue, exchange, comparison, and fleeting occasions.”[6] Others point out that the depicted figures “assume the poses of interpretive dance without being self-conscious.[7] Some of the images contain poetic and bowdlerized words reflecting ironic and humorous tones, with allusion to Beirut's sexual marketplace and its social life and culture. They show scenes of figures in the street, at the café, bar, salon, or in intimate settings, and engaged in conversation, flirtation, relaxation or sensual pleasure. The figures reflect a blend of “expressive faces, beseeching, flirtatious, charming, sleepy, talkative, reluctant, and pensive.”[8]

Drawings edit

The 80 drawings in the series exist alongside the watercolors with shared expressions, subjects and thematic qualities. They fall in sizes of 45x40cm, 45x30cm, 35x27cm. Around 50 are in pen and ink with broad, cross-hatched black lines contrasting the light and dark areas, and another 30 are sketch line drawings and wash embodying humorous writings. Some of the drawings portray “lovers and nudes using heavy brush and ink technique,”[9] and rendered in “sympathetic Germanic style.”[10]

References edit

  1. ^ Nabil Kanso: Place des Maryres: Works on Paper, 76th Street Gallery, Catalog, New York, 1973
  2. ^ Prior to WWI, el Bourj was called Place des Canons in reference to the Cannons placed by Russian in 1773 and France in 1860, Hanssen, Jens: Fin de siecle Beirut: The Making of an Ottoman Provincial Capital, p. 255, Oxford University Press, 2005
  3. ^ Pre-civil war el Bourj was rectangular shaped area measuring about 300 meters long and 150 meters wide, Baedeker, Karl, Palestine and Syrian: With the Chief Routes Routes Through Mesopotania and Babylonis, p. 279, Harvard University Press, 2007
  4. ^ Tueni, Ghassan, and Sassine, Fares, ed.: el Bourj, pp.216-217, Editions Dar An-Nahar, Beirut, 2003
  5. ^ Brown, Gordon, "Kanso", Arts Magazine, June, 1972 and February, 1973
  6. ^ Saint-Evremond, "Kanso", 76th Street gallery, France-Amerique, January 13, 1972
  7. ^ Brown, Gordon, "Kanso at 76th Street gallery", Arts Magazine, February, 1972
  8. ^ Gordon, Brown: "Kanso", Arts Magazine, February, 1973
  9. ^ Schwartz, Barbara: "Kanso at 76th Street", Art News, April, 1972
  10. ^ Bowles, Jerry: "Kanso", Art News, July, 1972

External links edit

  • Place des Martyres paintings
  • Aquarelles and drawings

January 01, 1970
place, martyres, paintings, place, martyres, title, series, over, watercolors, drawings, executed, york, beirut, between, 1971, 1974, nabil, kanso, subjects, works, series, based, women, headquartered, light, district, beirut, city, center, called, bourj, afte. Place des Martyres is the title of a series of over 250 watercolors and drawings executed in New York and Beirut between 1971 and 1974 by Nabil Kanso 1 The subjects of the works in the series are based on the women headquartered in the red light district of Beirut city center called el Bourj and after World War I 2 named Place des Martyrs French for Martyrs Place 3 in memory of dozens of Arab nationalists who were hanged in 1915 16 during Ottoman rule 4 Encounter watercolor 44X56cm 1973 Contents 1 Watercolors 2 Drawings 3 References 4 External linksWatercolors editThe watercolors in the Place des Martyres series consists of approximately 170 works in 3 sizes of 44x56cm 35x51cm and 31x41cm They are characterized by transparent deep colors of red orange yellow blue and black embodying figurative imagery representing both real and imaginary scenes of the gaudy life in the city center district adjoining Place des Martyrs Painted in the atmosphere of pre civil war Beirut the compositions depict sexualized encounters and interactions of figures in various sensual situations and entertainment settings They make references to works of such artists as Degas Toulouse Lautrec Rouault Kirchner Nolde 5 Laurencin and Pascin whose Sensual spirit seems to inspire the aquarelles and inhabit Kanso s figures which in a semi erotic round covet touch caress move and seem to emerge from a pagan fresco where time is consecrated to dance perfume and moments propitious to dialogue exchange comparison and fleeting occasions 6 Others point out that the depicted figures assume the poses of interpretive dance without being self conscious 7 Some of the images contain poetic and bowdlerized words reflecting ironic and humorous tones with allusion to Beirut s sexual marketplace and its social life and culture They show scenes of figures in the street at the cafe bar salon or in intimate settings and engaged in conversation flirtation relaxation or sensual pleasure The figures reflect a blend of expressive faces beseeching flirtatious charming sleepy talkative reluctant and pensive 8 Drawings editThe 80 drawings in the series exist alongside the watercolors with shared expressions subjects and thematic qualities They fall in sizes of 45x40cm 45x30cm 35x27cm Around 50 are in pen and ink with broad cross hatched black lines contrasting the light and dark areas and another 30 are sketch line drawings and wash embodying humorous writings Some of the drawings portray lovers and nudes using heavy brush and ink technique 9 and rendered in sympathetic Germanic style 10 References edit Nabil Kanso Place des Maryres Works on Paper 76th Street Gallery Catalog New York 1973 Prior to WWI el Bourj was called Place des Canons in reference to the Cannons placed by Russian in 1773 and France in 1860 Hanssen Jens Fin de siecle Beirut The Making of an Ottoman Provincial Capital p 255 Oxford University Press 2005 Pre civil war el Bourj was rectangular shaped area measuring about 300 meters long and 150 meters wide Baedeker Karl Palestine and Syrian With the Chief Routes Routes Through Mesopotania and Babylonis p 279 Harvard University Press 2007 Tueni Ghassan and Sassine Fares ed el Bourj pp 216 217 Editions Dar An Nahar Beirut 2003 Brown Gordon Kanso Arts Magazine June 1972 and February 1973 Saint Evremond Kanso 76th Street gallery France Amerique January 13 1972 Brown Gordon Kanso at 76th Street gallery Arts Magazine February 1972 Gordon Brown Kanso Arts Magazine February 1973 Schwartz Barbara Kanso at 76th Street Art News April 1972 Bowles Jerry Kanso Art News July 1972External links editPlace des Martyres paintings Aquarelles and drawings Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Place des Martyres paintings amp oldid 1218631748, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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