{"title":"ARTWORKS","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"paul-guiragossian-the-new-born-1969","title":"PAUL GUIRAGOSSIAN “THE NEW BORN” (1969)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePAUL GUIRAGOSSIAN\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“THE NEW BORN” (1969)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOil on canvas, 80 × 80 cm\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTHE ARTIST\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaul Guiragossian (1926–1993) stands as one of the most significant Arab modernist painters of the 20th century. Born in Jerusalem on December 25, 1926, to Armenian parents who survived the 1915 Armenian Genocide, Guiragossian’s life was defined by displacement and the search for belonging. Following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, his family fled to Beirut’s Armenian quarter of Bourj Hammoud, where he would spend most of his creative life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis artistic training began in Jerusalem studying religious iconography with Italian painters—an experience that profoundly influenced his treatment of sacred and maternal themes. The elongated figures and spiritual aura of icon painting left an indelible mark on his developing style. In 1956, he received a scholarship to study at Florence’s Accademia di Belle Arti, followed by further studies in Paris in 1962 at Les Ateliers des Maîtres de l’École de Paris, where he encountered European modernism, Surrealism, and the bold abstractions of Picasso and Matisse.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReturning to Beirut in the mid-1960s, Guiragossian emerged as Lebanon’s preeminent artistic figure. His work explored recurring themes: motherhood and childhood, communal gatherings, labor and struggle, and above all, the human figure as a vessel of memory and longing. His paintings are held in major collections including the Centre Georges Pompidou (Paris), Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art (Doha), Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts (Amman), and the Sursock Museum (Beirut). His auction record stands at $605,000 USD for “La Lutte de l’Existence” (Christie’s Dubai, 2013).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTHE WORK\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eComposition and Meaning\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The New Born,” painted in 1969, presents a cluster of elongated, abstracted figures gathered around a central focal point—the newborn child. The figures are rendered with minimal facial detail, their features suggested rather than delineated, creating an anonymous, archetypal quality that transforms them into universal symbols of family and community. Arms are wrapped protectively around the unseen infant, suggesting tenderness, vulnerability, and the instinctive communal response to new life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe composition is tightly compressed within the square format (80 × 80 cm), creating intimate enclosure. The figures press against one another, their elongated bodies forming vertical rhythms—a visual metaphor for the protective circle that surrounds every newborn.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe year 1969 holds particular biographical significance. Guiragossian’s son, Ara, had died shortly after birth years earlier, a loss that haunted him throughout his life. The theme of the newborn appears repeatedly in his work as both memorial and meditation on life’s fragility. For an artist born into a family of genocide survivors, whose existence was defined by exile, the image of a newborn carries profound symbolic weight—representing continuity, resilience, the refusal to be erased.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePalette and Technique\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe palette features ochres, umbers, muted greens, soft blues, and warm grays—colors drawn from Beirut’s working-class neighborhoods. These earthy tones evoke both humble circumstances and timeless, ancient quality, as if the figures exist outside specific time and place. Touches of brighter color highlight the central drama, while the restrained palette reinforces the solemnity of birth and renewal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGuiragossian’s technique reflects his mastery of impasto and expressive brushwork. Paint is applied thickly with visible, gestural strokes creating richly textured surface. This physicality gives the work sculptural quality, as if figures emerge from canvas itself. The brushwork balances between careful articulation and loose passages that border on abstraction—the figures remain recognizable yet resist literal reading, existing in a liminal space between representation and pure painterly expression.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePROVENANCE AND EXHIBITION\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The New Born” was included in the landmark retrospective \u003cstrong\u003e“Paul Guiragossian: Testimonies of Existence”\u003c\/strong\u003e (Barjeel Art Foundation, UAE, 2018), marking the 25th anniversary of the artist’s death. The exhibition brought together paintings from the late 1950s to early 1990s from UAE collections and the Paul Guiragossian Foundation archive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe work is documented in the exhibition catalogue \u003cstrong\u003e“Testimonies of Existence: Paul Guiragossian”\u003c\/strong\u003e (Barjeel Art Foundation, 2018, ISBN 978-1-911561-03-3), featuring essays by Maisa Al Qassimi and Mandy Merzaban. According to the catalogue, “The New Born” is part of the \u003cstrong\u003eCollection of Mr. François Faure\u003c\/strong\u003e, a significant collector of Middle Eastern modern art.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthentication:\u003c\/strong\u003e Paul Guiragossian Foundation, Beirut. Certificate of Authenticity provided.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMARKET CONTEXT\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaul Guiragossian’s market has seen steady growth over two decades, driven by increasing institutional recognition. Works from the 1960s and early 1970s—the period of “The New Born”—are particularly sought after, representing his transition to mature synthesis of figuration and abstraction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRecent comparable auction results:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e“Oriflamme” (1969)\u003c\/strong\u003e, oil on canvas: £27,720 GBP (approximately $35,000–$40,000 USD)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e1960s works in 80 × 80 cm format: $30,000–$80,000 USD\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMother-and-child themed works consistently command premium prices\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGiven the provenance (François Faure Collection), exhibition history (Testimonies of Existence, 2018), publication (Barjeel catalogue), and powerful subject matter, “The New Born” is positioned at the higher end of the market for 1960s Guiragossian paintings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSPECIFICATIONS\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMedium:\u003c\/strong\u003e Oil on canvas\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 80 × 80 cm\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDate:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1969\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSignature:\u003c\/strong\u003e Signed by the artist\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Excellent. Original surface intact; colors vibrant; impasto preserved; canvas stable with no tears, losses, or restoration\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrame:\u003c\/strong\u003e Framed\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthentication:\u003c\/strong\u003e Paul Guiragossian Foundation, Beirut. Certificate of Authenticity included\u003cbr\u003ePrivate viewings by appointment in Dubai\u003cbr\u003eWorldwide shipping with full insurance and export documentation\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eResources:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePaul Guiragossian Foundation: www.paulguiragossian.com\u003cbr\u003eBarjeel Art Foundation: www.barjeelartfoundation.org\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"HORAMUNDI","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52020587495716,"sku":null,"price":92000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0872\/8222\/1348\/files\/EHR_2431.jpg?v=1771356267"},{"product_id":"paul-guiragossian-nostalgie-c-1986","title":"PAUL GUIRAGOSSIAN — \"NOSTALGIE\" (C. 1986)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePAUL GUIRAGOSSIAN — \"NOSTALGIE\" (C. 1986)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOil on Canvas | 116 × 81 cm\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTHE ARTIST\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaul Guiragossian (Lebanese\/Armenian, 1926–1993) stands as one of the most influential modernist painters from the Arab world. Born in Jerusalem to Armenian parents who survived the 1915 Genocide, Guiragossian experienced displacement from birth. Following the 1948 creation of Israel, his family fled to Beirut's Bourj Hammoud neighborhood, where he spent his life among fellow refugees.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA self-described man \"born without borders,\" Guiragossian's work transcends nationalism, focusing on universal themes: human existence, displacement, motherhood, and exile. After early training in religious iconography, he studied at Accademia di Belle Arti (Florence, 1956) and Les Ateliers des Maîtres de l'École de Paris (1962), encountering Impressionism and Modernism while remaining rooted in Mesopotamian heritage and refugee realities.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis work resides in major collections: Centre Georges Pompidou (Paris), Mathaf (Doha), Jordan National Gallery (Amman), and Barjeel Art Foundation (Sharjah). \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTHE WORK\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"Nostalgie\"\u003c\/strong\u003e (c. 1986) exemplifies Guiragossian's mature period during the Lebanese Civil War, reflecting displacement, collective memory, and emotional exile.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eComposition\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTightly grouped abstracted human figures rendered as elongated vertical forms spanning the canvas height. Aligned in rhythmic arrangement, they suggest unity and interconnectedness—Guiragossian's recurring motif addressing solidarity amidst displacement. Suspended in ambiguous space without landscape, the figures exist between presence and absence, memory and reality.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eColor Palette\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVibrant, emotionally charged: deep forest greens, burgundy reds, ochre oranges, cerulean blues, luminous whites, golden yellows. Darker tones frame the composition, creating depth; brighter hues illuminate central figures—light within collective darkness. The chromatic intensity evokes both human warmth and melancholy longing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTechnique\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCharacteristic impasto: thick, heavily textured brushstrokes applied with vigorous energy, creating palpable three-dimensional surface. Paint layered in bold vertical sweeps with deliberate density variations generating visual rhythm.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFigurative Abstraction\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHuman figures rendered without facial features or anatomical detail—archetypal forms suggested through color transitions and gestural marks. This abstraction invites universal interpretation rather than specific narrative. The elongation recalls Sumerian sculpture and Byzantine iconography.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMeaning\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe title underscores reflective longing—for connection, home, belonging. Tightly clustered figures suggest both community comfort and shared exile's claustrophobia. Guiragossian's lifelong meditation on existence and displacement resonates powerfully. As he stated: \"The woman is constantly present in my paintings… because she is Love, Childhood, Suffering and Peace.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePROVENANCE \u0026amp; EXHIBITION\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublished:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003eTestimonies of Existence: Paul Guiragossian\u003c\/em\u003e, Barjeel Art Foundation, 2018 (ISBN: 978-1-911561-03-3)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eExhibition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Documented in comprehensive catalogue marking 25th anniversary of artist's passing\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAuthentication:\u003c\/strong\u003e Paul Guiragossian Foundation, Beirut\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis scholarly publication includes essays by leading art historians exploring Guiragossian's pivotal role in Arab modernism, with \"Nostalgie\" featured among significant works from the 1980s period.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMARKET CONTEXT\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWorks from Guiragossian's 1980s period—his technical and thematic apex—command premium valuations:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAuction Record:\u003c\/strong\u003e $605,000 USD (\u003cem\u003eLa Lutte de l'Existence\u003c\/em\u003e, 2013)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRecent Range:\u003c\/strong\u003e $50,000–$150,000 USD average (2024-2026)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMarket Trajectory:\u003c\/strong\u003e Steadily appreciating with growing institutional demand\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eInstitutional Holdings:\u003c\/strong\u003e Centre Pompidou, Mathaf, major Middle Eastern museums\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Nostalgie\" represents museum-quality work from the artist's most celebrated period, with vibrant palette and multi-figure composition characteristic of his finest achievements.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCONDITION\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMedium:\u003c\/strong\u003e Oil on canvas\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 116 × 81 cm (45.7 × 31.9 inches)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDate:\u003c\/strong\u003e Circa 1986\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Excellent; original surface intact; colors vibrant; impasto preserved\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFrame:\u003c\/strong\u003e Contemporary painted frame\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAuthentication:\u003c\/strong\u003e Certificate from Paul Guiragossian Foundation included\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWHY HORAMUNDI\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJust as we connect collectors to historically significant timepieces, or gems, we curate access to museum-quality artworks by pioneering modernists. Guiragossian's work represents cultural heritage, artistic innovation, and enduring investment value—principles aligned with Horamundi's commitment to provenance, authenticity, and timeless excellence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis inaugural fine art offering reflects our expanded vision serving collectors who appreciate across disciplines icons.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePrivate viewings by appointment. Worldwide shipping with full insurance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e© Paul Guiragossian Foundation. All rights reserved.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"HORAMUNDI","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52020592443684,"sku":null,"price":98500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0872\/8222\/1348\/files\/DSC_1831.jpg?v=1771356596"},{"product_id":"keith-haring-untitled-ink-on-terracotta-vessel-edition-of-25","title":"Keith Haring - Untitled ink on terracotta vessel - edition of 25","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"pah-html-parser\" data-testid=\"html-parser\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003esigned, numbered and dated '7\/25 K.Haring 1989' on the underside\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"pah-html-parser\" data-testid=\"html-parser\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eink on terracotta vessel\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"pah-html-parser\" data-testid=\"html-parser\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e32.7 x 36.8 x 36.8 cm (12 7\/8 x 14 1\/2 x 14 1\/2 in.)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"pah-html-parser\" data-testid=\"html-parser\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eExecuted in 1989, this work is number 7 from an edition of 25.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"pah-html-parser\" data-testid=\"html-parser\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"pah-html-parser\" data-testid=\"html-parser\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eProvenance:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"pah-html-parser\" data-testid=\"html-parser\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGallery 121, Antwerp\u003cbr\u003ePrivate Collection\u003cbr\u003eThence by descent to the present owner\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"pah-html-parser\" data-testid=\"html-parser\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"pah-html-parser\" data-testid=\"html-parser\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLiterature;\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"pah-html-parser\" data-testid=\"html-parser\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003eBasquiat + Haring + Scharf from Leo Malca Collection\u003c\/em\u003e, Tokyo, 1998, p. 35 (another example illustrated)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"pah-html-parser\" data-testid=\"html-parser\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"pah-html-parser\" data-testid=\"html-parser\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAbout the artist:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"pah-html-parser\" data-testid=\"html-parser\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eKeith Haring\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAmerican, 1958–1990\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKeith Haring developed one of the most immediately recognisable visual vocabularies in late twentieth-century art. Emerging from the New York subway system — where he worked in chalk on the black paper panels of unused advertising spaces — Haring refined a linear iconography that addressed, beneath its apparent accessibility, the full weight of the era’s defining concerns: death, sexuality, war, and the AIDS crisis that would claim his life at thirty-one.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat appeared effortless was in fact a precise and disciplined symbolic language. Haring called these forms \u003ci\u003eicons\u003c\/i\u003e — radiant figures, barking dogs, crawling infants — and deployed them across monumental public murals, gallery canvases, and objects of everyday life with equal conviction and without hierarchy. The scale of his output and the breadth of his reach were deliberate: art, in Haring’s view, was most powerful when it escaped the confines of the gallery entirely.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe brevity of his career, far from diminishing his place in the canon, has concentrated the significance of each documented work. His output is finite. The market reflects this accordingly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"HORAMUNDI","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52628636107044,"sku":null,"price":85000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0872\/8222\/1348\/files\/230018_003.jpg?v=1774000136"}],"url":"https:\/\/horamundi.com\/collections\/artworks.oembed","provider":"HORAMUNDI","version":"1.0","type":"link"}