Saudi Arabia’s first-ever auction of art being hosted by Sotheby’s
16 Jan 2025
Antony Gormley's artwork Sidle.
Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer
Sotheby’s, the auction house established 1744 and one of the world’s premier destinations for art and luxury, has unveiled the artworks and luxury offerings to go under the hammer in Saudi Arabia’s first-ever auction. The exhibition of the objets d’art opens February 1, with the auction following on February 8. The exhibition (Feb. 1 – 8), takes place in Diriyah’s Bujairi Terrace; Diriyah is the birthplace of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Works of over 50 artists are being offered, including those of René Magritte, Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Wassily Kandinsky, Toyin Ojih Odutola, George Condo, Fernando Botero, Mohammad Al Saleem, Abdulhalim Radwi, Louay Kayyali, Huguette Caland and Samia Halaby.
Outdoor sculptures, a light installation by James Turrell and a monumental digital artwork by Refik Anadol, are also on offer. Jewellery and rare watches by Cartier, Bulgari, Van Cleef & Arpels, Richard Mille, Rolex and Audemars Piguet, alongside what Sotheby’s calls “ultra-coveted Hermès handbags”, will also be on sale. Sports memorabilia from the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Michael Jordan, rounds off the occasion. Titled ‘Origins’, the two-part auction comprises a sale of fine art by both home-grown Saudi artists alongside the leading names in international art history, digital art, “and a showcase of all that luxury encompasses, including jewellery, watches, sports memorabilia and handbags.” The exhibition and auction coincides with Diriyah Season, the annual themed festival that brings the cultural heritage of Diriyah to life through events, and retail and culinary experiences.
“With its 300-year-old UNESCO World Heritage Site of At-Turaif nearby, the historic setting perfectly reflects and enhances the offering of this inaugural auction,” opines Sotheby’s. The exhibition is free to visit. The auction spans the timeline of Western art history from important works of Impressionism, Surrealism and Modern art. A number of the artworks will be exhibited outdoors in Diriyah’s oasis-like spaces, including Antony Gormley’s ‘Sidle’, James Turrell’s light installation, ‘Hautecouture’, a sculpture by Alexander Calder, and Robert Indiana’s AMOR - all of which vie for collector attention.
One of the world’s best-known and best-loved Surrealist artists, René Magritte, is famed for his intriguing images combining everyday objects in whimsical and thought-provoking contexts. His ‘L’État de veille’ belongs to a series of dreamlike gouaches featuring several emblematic motifs: a sky filled with clouds, window frames and a house façade. The auction also offers a rare and large-scale painting by Belgian Surrealist Paul Delvaux, ‘La Légende égyptienne’ – the only painting by the artist to feature Ancient Egypt, an important source of fascination for the Surrealists. Giorgio de Chirico’s ‘Due cavalli in riva al mare’ is an example of Surrealism’s attraction to Greek and Roman classical mythology, history and architecture. Also influenced by Surrealism is Wassily Kandinsky’s ‘Pointillé’, which was formerly in the collection of New York’s Guggenheim Museum.
One of the most influential artists from South America, Fernando Botero’s works are housed in many important private and public art collections, including New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, MoMA and Guggenheim. The auction offers two works from the collection of the artist’s son, namely, ‘Society Woman’ and a sculpture, ‘Man on Horse’. ‘Unspoken Satisfaction’ by Nigerian-American artist Toyin Ojih Odutola and digital art by one of the medium’s most sought-after artists, Refik Anadol, also figure in the auction. The gavel event offers one of the most iconic images in the world of modern Arab art - Louay Kayyali’s masterpiece, ‘Then What?’. It is anticipated to achieve an auction record. The expressive canvas from 1965 explores themes of exile, trauma and war, especially relevant in relation to the plight of Palestinian refugees. Samia Halaby’s ‘Blue Trap in a Railroad Station’, too, is seeking buyer attention.
The sale also presents a significant painting by one of Saudi Arabia’s most important modern artists, Mohammad Al Saleem. A genuine pioneer, he greatly contributed to the evolution of art in the Kingdom and currently holds the world record for any Saudi artist (set at Sotheby’s in London in 2023). ‘O God, Honor Them and Do Not Honor an Enemy Over Them’ is inspired by the gradating skyline of Riyadh from the desert, with both the skyline and calligraphy blended into mosaic-like designs across the surface. Prolific Saudi sculptor, curator and poet, Abdulhalim Radwi’s untitled work from 1984 features a group of women at the market, with traditional motifs adorning their dresses. Women artists from the region include Etel Adnan, Helen Khal, Huguette Caland, Bibi Zogbé, Monir Farmanfarmaian, Saloua Raouda Choucair and Juliana Seraphim.
The auction offers artist Sarah Al-Quatil’s ‘The Release of the Dead’ from the 1960s, a combination of watercolour paintings and the poems of Akl Awit – testament to the rich artistic collaboration between two key Lebanese cultural figures during the Golden Age of Beirut. The Saloua Raouda Choucair Foundation is presenting a sculpture by the trailblazing artist – one of Lebanon’s leading female sculptors – to benefit education and research. ‘Secret of the Cube’ encapsulates Choucair’s exploration of the endless potential of a singular piece of wood or stone, and her fascination with puzzles and equations. One of the most influential female icons and modern artists from Lebanon, Huguette Caland’s untitled work from 1985 showcases the artist’s preoccupation with line and the human body, in her own unique language of abstraction. Other Arab artists to be featured in the sale include Ahmed Mater, Fouad Kamel, Abdel Hadi El Gazzar and Mahmoud Mokhtar.