This exhibition at the Four Seasons Hotel in Doha was the first of its kind to be held in Qatar and comprised works by leading Orientalist painters – Rudolf Ernst, John Singer Sargent and Edwin Lord Weeks, as well as notable artists of the twentieth century – James Tissot and Pablo Picasso.
H.E. Sheikh Hassan Bin Mohammed Bin Ali Al Thani, Deputy Chairman of the Qatar Museums Authority officially opened the exhibition of important 19th and 20th century Impressionist and Orientalist art on Monday 29th October at the Four Seasons Hotel. The V.I.P. evening was hosted by Chase Untermeyer, former US Ambassador to the State of Qatar and his wife, Diana Untermeyer.
150 guests attended the V.I.P. event to view paintings featuring significant equestrian and Islamic subjects. The collection comprised of 40 works of art and sculpture worth over $50 million, which was brought to Doha from London exclusively for this event. It included works by leading Orientalist painters Rudolf Ernst, John Singer Sargent and Edwin Lord Weeks, as well as some of the most famous artists of the twentieth century, James Tissot and Pablo Picasso.
The Exhibition was the first of its kind to be held in Qatar. The collection was displayed on a spectacular panelled backdrop that created the feeling of an old traditional English library.
Chase Untermeyer:
“This would be an important exhibition of art in any capital of the world and we are particularly proud to have been able to hold it here in Doha, where so much of the world is coming to see the dynamic growth of Qatar.”
Yusuf Ahmed, the renowned Qatari artist:
“This was a good opportunity for us in Qatar to have an exhibition of this kind and it has reminded me of when Sheikh Hassan and I established an Orientalist museum in Qatar. The names of the artists in this exhibition are very well known and it offered Qatari society and artists the chance to come and study the techniques used by Western artists to depict the Eastern light.”
Helen Macintyre, Managing Director at Macintyre Art Advisory Ltd:
“It was a great honour that so many distinguished Qataris attended the event which presented a unique opportunity to showcase our collection of exceptional works of art to such a culturally appreciative audience. We hope this will be the first of many.”
