Artwork
A View of Beirut
A View of Beirut is an oil painting by Moustafa Farroukh. It dates from 1939 and is held in the collection of the Sursock Museum.
About this work
Overview
A View of Beirut is a landscape painting created by Moustafa Farroukh around 1939, executed in oil paint. It captures a serene hillside vista of Beirut, featuring its coastline along the Mediterranean Sea, distinctive stone pines, and a sky with drifting clouds.
Subject & Meaning
The painting's subject is a panoramic view of Beirut from a hill, emphasizing the interplay between nature (pine trees, sea, sky) and the urban landscape. The composition conveys a sense of calm, inviting the viewer to contemplate the scene's tranquility.
Technique & Style
Farroukh employed expressive dark brushstrokes for the pine trees' trunks and branches, contrasting with softer, varied colors to depict light and shadow effects on both the sea and the trees. The sky's gentle blue hue with lazy clouds enhances the overall serene atmosphere.
History & Provenance
Created circa 1939 by Moustafa Farroukh, a prolific Lebanese artist and author, A View of Beirut is part of the Sursock Museum's collection. Farroukh's body of work includes over 2,000 paintings and five authored books.
Artist & collection
Artist
Moustafa Farroukh (Arabic: مصطفى فروخ; 1901 – 1957) was one of Lebanon's most prominent painters of the 20th century.
