Turkish Artist Fahrelnissa Zeid’s Record Breaking Art

Best known for her large-scale abstract paintings, Princess Fahrelnissa Zeid (1901–1991) was one of the most influential female Turkish artists. Trained in Paris, as well as in Istanbul, her abstract art has been described as a mixture of Islamic, Byzantine, Arab and Persian influences combined with stylistic elements that were developed in Europe during the post-war period. A collection of her paintings, previously unknown, was sold in Bonhams Indian and Islamic art sale on 2 October 2012 for a total of £2,021,838.
The collection of works by the Princess came to light when a former employee of the family unearthed a box that contained more than 150 sketches, drawings, canvases, notebooks and letters, given to him when the artist moved residence. Many of the works greatly exceeded their pre-sale estimates. The art sale created frenzied bidding in the room, on the telephone and over the internet and as a result there was a new world record achieved for works on paper by this artist. The collection was sold entirely and the highly charged sale saw prices eagerly shouted out to purchase the artist’s work, with an ink and watercolor on card selling at £26,000 on an estimate of £3,000-5,000. Works on canvas performed exceptionally, as well as paintings of Istanbul scenes; Emin Efendi Lokantasi sold for £217,000, Boats on the Bosphorus sold for £133,000, and a portrait of Queen Aliyeh of Jordan, Arabian Queen, sold for £127,000.