Lot Essay
Born in Arak, Iran and living in Paris since 1955, Abolghassem Saïdi through his works beautifully fuses his Iranian heritage with his French artistic influences, having acquainted many leading French painters, including Bernard Buffet, whom he met during his time at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. Having won many prizes during his career, including at the Second Painting Biennale of Tehran in 1960, his works have been widely exhibited in Europe and Iran and are featured in important private and public collections. Alike a musician who plays with sound, Saïdi juggles with colour, form and the picture plane and creates charming paintings that are infused with stability, purity, calmness and above all acute timelessness. His heavenly gardens imbued with poetic wisdom are made of twisted and embracing branches set against a background that radiates light and the warmth of the eternal sun. One of his largest works to appear at auction, the present composition reveals the continuity and constant talent that have led to Saïdi’s success, spanning over five decades.