Avni Arbaş

Born in Istanbul in 1919 and died in Izmir in 2003, Avni Arbaş incorporated subjects related to everyday life and the landscapes of Turkey into his work, from the Bosphorus to fishing scenes, horses and nature. He also depicted episodes from the Turkish War of Independence and painted portraits of Atatürk, whom the biographical source describes as a friend of his father. His work is described as moving between figuration and abstraction: a rich colour palette is combined with pared-down forms, sometimes reduced to patches of colour.

After leaving Galatasaray High School, he entered the Istanbul Academy of Fine Arts in 1937. He studied there until 1946, after first working in Ibrahim Çallı’s studio and then under Leopold Lévy. He discovered Anatolia, particularly Siirt, thanks to the efforts of Education Minister Hasan Ali Yücel. In 1946, a French government scholarship took him to Paris, where he lived until 1976, the year he returned to Turkey.

During his years in Paris, he exhibited in Paris, Turin, New York and Brussels, among other places. A 1954 Paris exhibition, described by the source as his first, was devoted to memories of Siirt. Two works illustrate the range of approaches described: Paysage de mer (1955) treats the maritime motif in a semi-abstract manner, while L’Arbre au soleil noir (1963), an oil on canvas, structures a stylised landscape around a black sun. Cavalier, dated and signed 1958, is documented as an oil on canvas measuring 73 × 50 cm.

Works recorded at auction

Germann

Horseman, 1958

Oil on canvas

Original catalogue wording

Cavalier, 1958
Öl auf Leinwand.

Date to be documented

Catalogue reference — sale not confirmed

View the lot at the auction house ↗

Germann

Horseman, 1958

Oil on canvas

Original catalogue wording

Cavalier, 1958
Öl auf Leinwand.

Date to be documented

Catalogue reference — sale not confirmed

View the lot at the auction house ↗