Artwork
View from Boulos Khauli's House in Bhamdoun Al-Mahatta
View from Boulos Khauli's House in Bhamdoun Al-Mahatta is a watercolor painting by Moustafa Farroukh. It dates from 1939 and is held in the collection of the Sursock Museum.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1939, this watercolor by Moustafa Farroukh captures a quiet balcony scene in Bhamdoun Al‑Mahatta. The composition centers on a modest interior‑outdoor space, where a chair, a low table and two sizable jars are arranged beneath a vaulted ceiling. Muted earth tones dominate, lending the work a restrained, contemplative atmosphere.
Subject & Meaning
The painting presents an everyday domestic setting, emphasizing the simple objects of daily life—a chair, a table, jars—set against the open air of a balcony. By focusing on these ordinary elements, Farroukh invites viewers to consider the quiet dignity of ordinary Lebanese interiors during the late 1930s, reflecting a subtle sense of place and routine.
Technique & Style
Executed in watercolor, the work relies on layered glazing to achieve a soft, luminous quality. Transparent washes build depth, while delicate brushwork renders the vaulted ceiling and baluster railing with a sense of atmospheric light. The restrained palette of beige and brown enhances the ethereal effect, characteristic of Farroukh’s nuanced handling of the medium.
History & Provenance
The piece belongs to the collection of the Sursock Museum in Beirut, where it has been displayed as part of the institution’s representation of early 20th‑century Lebanese art. Farroukh, a prolific figure with over two thousand works and several published books, produced this work during a period of heightened artistic activity preceding World War II.
Artist & collection
Artist
Moustafa Farroukh (Arabic: مصطفى فروخ; 1901 – 1957) was one of Lebanon's most prominent painters of the 20th century.
