Baghdadiat (Two Women)

Jewad Selim, who founded Jamaat Baghdad lil-Fan al-Hadith (the Group of Baghdad for Modern Art) in 1951, envisioned putting the Iraqi people at the center of his paintings and sculptures. Although he mastered European academic practices, the Iraqi artist wanted to create art to which the Iraqi public could relate. He thus elaborated the concept of istilham al-turath (seeking inspiration from heritage), especially in a series of paintings called Baghdadiyat (daily life scenes in Baghdad), including the Two Women from 1956. In a very colorful composition, Selim depicts a standing woman who seems to be fixing her long veil while the other sleeps in the back. The painting draws inspiration from Iraq's artistic heritage and various aesthetics. In a modern, abstract style, Selim applied color planes similar to those found in 13th-century Arab-Islamic paintings, alluding to the ancient Mesopotamian tradition of sculpting. Jewad Selim chose to portray ordinary Iraqi citizens in the 1950s to demonstrate Iraq's deeply ingrained traditions and customs at a time when the country lacked complete national sovereignty.