Two paintings by famed Egyptian artist Mahmoud Said, Apres la Pluie (“After the Rain”) and Eid Al-Adha, will go up for auction at Sotheby’s in London on 22 October.

According to Sotheby’s, the 20th century art/Middle East auction will include a total of 83 works representing the rarest and most sought-after artists from the modern era to the contemporary period.

Other artists featured include Maher Raif (Egypt), Georges Hanna Sabbagh (Egypt/France), Bahman Mohasses (Iran), Hassan Hajjaj (Morocco), Marcos Grigorian (Iran/Armenia), Manoucher Yektai (Iran/USA), Sohrab Sepehri (Iran), Dana Awartani (Palestine/Saudi Arabia), Etel Adnan (Lebanon/USA), and Saloua Radoua Choucair (Lebanon), among others.

Said’s oil on canvas Apres la Pluie (1936, 75 by 57.5cm) is being submitted for auction by a prestigious private collection, according to Sotheby’s website. The painting is expected to sell for an estimate of £300,000 - £400,000.

Mahmoud Said’s Apres la Pluie (After the Rain), oil on canvas (Photo: Sotheby’s London)

The oil on board Eid Al-Adha (c.1917, 14 by 24cm) is expected to sell for £24,000 - £35,000.

Said (1897-1964) is often described as the father of modern Egyptian painting. Several of his works are still in Egypt, while others are abroad.

In October 2010, Said's famed Whirling Dervishes sold for $2,546,500 at Christie’s against a pre-sale estimate of $300,000-$400,000, setting a world record for the sale of a painting from a Middle East artist.

His Petite fille d’Assiout, painted by Said in 1945, was sold to a private collector for $650,000 by Christie’s in 2011, against a pre-sale estimate of $250,000-300,000.

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