Nejad Melih Devrim

Galerie Birch, Copenhagen
Acquired directly from the above by the previous owner circa 1956
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner in 1970

Condition: This work is in fair condition. There is minor discoloration of paint and varnish on white painted areas. There is a discoloration mark on bottom right. There are nails along the edges mounted by the artist. There is very minor paint loss on centre left, lower left and centre right. The panel is slightly warped and there is a small crack on centre left.
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NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The first Turkish painter to hold a solo exhibition of abstract art in Paris, in March of 1947, Nejad Melih Devrim is acclaimed as one of the most remarkable artists of the Ecole de Paris.

Born to a highly educated family of artists and poets, he was the son of a pioneering female artist Fahrelnissa Zeid (see lots 66-69), and taught by Léopold Lévy at the Istanbul Academy of Fine Art. Moving to Paris in 1946, Nejad Devrim became an intellectual of the highest order claiming Marcel Duchamp, Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas as close friends.

Although clearly passionate about Paris, Devrim never forgot his cultural roots and infatuation with the Byzantine mosaics he studied in Istanbul. His profound ability to synthesize the bold use of vibrant colours by the modern masters like the Fauvists and his study of light and lyrical harmony of the Byzantine mosaics won him a special place among the artists of the Parisian art scene.

This beautiful painting is an outstanding example of Devrim's work from 1950s which marries the legacies of his past and his present. The diagonal lines and curvilinear arches break up the space into contrasting colours while the tones of sombre greys and the soothing whites clash with the emotionally dense, fiery reds, as an abstract depiction of a far away land takes shape.

The large size and the extremely rare composition of this painting as well as its re-emergence in the art scene after fifty-four years render this an exceptional example from Nejad Devrim's oeuvre.