New English Encyclopaedia Chronicles Modern Egyptian Painting

A new English-language encyclopaedia documenting the history of modern Egyptian painting is set for release in mid-September, revisiting French critic Aimé Azar's landmark 1961 survey with updated research, expanded artist biographies and around 1,600 high-quality reproductions of artworks.

Edited by French art historian and critic Valérie Didier and Dr Hossam Rashwan, a researcher specialising in the modern Egyptian art movement, the two-volume publication spans approximately 1,300 pages and examines the development of modern painting in Egypt through the work of Egyptian, Armenian and foreign artists who lived and worked in the country.

The project began in 2015 with Didier's translation of Azar's original French text into English, a process that took more than two years. The editors then expanded the work by photographing artworks held in Egyptian collections, including those at the Museum of Modern Art, the Gezira Museum and the Mahmoud Saeed Museums Centre, while also securing image rights for works housed in European museums.

The first volume preserves Azar's original text while adding a new introduction examining its historical significance and limitations. It follows the structure of the 1961 edition, covering major artistic movements and generations, including the Art and Liberty Group, the Contemporary Art Group, the Modern Art Group, independent artists, Armenian artists and foreign artists active in Egypt before 1961.

The second volume updates the biographies of 102 artists, extending them beyond Azar's original cut-off date to cover each artist's life and career up to their death. It also explores the institutional history of Egypt's modern art movement, including the establishment of the Faculty of Fine Arts and the figures who helped shape its development. Together, the two volumes aim to provide a comprehensive English-language reference on the evolution of modern painting in Egypt.