Bidspirit auction | LORNA SELIM (IRAQI, 1928-2021), OLD

LORNA SELIM (IRAQI, 1928-2021), OLD HOUSES IN BAGHDAD, 1971, OIL ON BOARD - Lorna Selim (Iraqi, 1928-2021). Old Houses in Baghdad. Oil on board. The work is signed in Arabic script لورنا (Lorna) and dated ١٩٧١ (1971) in Eastern Arabic numerals to the lower-left corner. This painting depicts a row of traditional urban dwellings featuring characteristic shanasheel or mashrabiya balconies, rendered in a modernist style with expressive, textured brushwork. To the left is a prominent green shanasheel balcony with intricate lattice patterns. The central balcony is painted in reddish-brown tones and features three arched window bays with decorative woodwork. To the right, a wider balcony is shaded by four white fabric awnings. The ground floor elevation includes several small arched windows and a central entrance with green doors beneath a patterned arch. A doorway to the far right is painted crimson and features a Hamsa symbol above the arch. The colour palette is dominated by warm ochres, sienna, and earth tones, suggesting a sun-drenched architectural setting. The painting is presented in a dark frame with a wide, coarse-textured brown fabric liner and a metallic outer edge. 80 by 38 cm  Provenance: Private middle eastern collection Certificate of authenticity from the Iraqi Artists Syndicate   80 by 37.5cm  98 by 55cm frame