Salah Taher (Egypt, 1911-2007) The Serpent (Al Thuban)
Provenance : [Propriété non datée]
- 'Taher's choice of a green background might be seen as a conscious nod to the lush surroundings of Eden or even the green often associated with paradise in Islamic iconography.' Provenance: Property from a private collection, London At an impressive scale, this unprecedented piece by Salah Taher delves deeply into abstraction, capturing the viewer's attention with its serpent-like figures set against a vivid green backdrop
- The piece immediately evokes comparisons to the serpent in the Garden of Eden, a narrative thread common in Abrahamic traditions, including Islam
- In the Quran and broader Muslim culture, the serpent, often identified with Iblis or Satan, plays a pivotal role as the creature that led Adam and Eve astray from God's direct command, marking mankind's initial fall from divine grace
- Yet, the representation of the serpent is not just as a symbol of deceit or temptation
- In Islamic art and culture, the serpent also comes to represent profound wisdom, change, and the cyclical nature of life and death
- Taher's choice of a green background might be seen as a conscious nod to the lush surroundings of Eden or even the green often associated with paradise in Islamic iconography
- It also brings forth the dichotomous nature of the serpent – both a tempter and a bearer of wisdom
- This artwork masterfully encapsulates this duality, inviting the viewer to reflect on the profound themes of sin, redemption, knowledge, and the human condition
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