Dina Ramadan Dissertation
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The Aesthetics of the Modern: Art, Education, and Taste in Egypt 1903-1952 Dina A Ramadan Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY 2013 © 2013 Dina A Ramadan All rights reserved ABSTRACT The Aesthetics of the Modern: Art, Education, and Taste in Egypt 1903-1952 Dina A Ramadan This dissertation explores the ways in which an educational mission was central to the conceptualization, production, and consumption of the category of modern art in Egypt during the first half of the twentieth century. It is structured as a series of four case studies, each offering a rereading of a moment that has been repeatedly highlighted in the literature as a turning point in the development of modern art but that remains unexamined. Chapter One is a study of a fatwa by the leading Islamic reformer, Muhammad ‘Abduh, which is considered to be his declaration of support for representational art. In a close reading of this understudied text, I demonstrate the ways in which this fatwa has been misinterpreted and misappropriated; ‘Abduh never mentions “art” [al-fann] specifically but instead discusses the merits of pictorial representation [al-taswir] as a form of visual knowledge, a useful tool for preservation and learning. Chapter Two focuses on the establishment of the School of Fine Arts in Cairo in 1908. Relying on largely unexamined material, I describe and analyze the prevalent discourses that shaped the kind of education that the school offered, the perceptions its founders, faculty, and students had of its role, and ultimately the role of modern art and the artist within Egyptian society. The second half of the dissertation attends to the reception and consumption of art through the development of art criticism [al-naqd al-fanni] and the role of journals in educating Egyptian audiences. Chapter Three is a study of and Sawt el-Fannan [The Voice of the Artist, 1950-2], “the first monthly magazine for the fine arts.” I focus here on the writing of art history and criticism as a means of educating Egyptian eyes to see and appreciate in a specific set of ways. The notion of taste [dhawq] and its complex social and moral functions demonstrate that what is at stake here is something much larger than an aesthetic sensibility. Chapter Four examines Al-Tatawwur, a journal published by al-Fann wa-l-Hurriyya [Art and Freedom] in response to André Breton and Diego Rivera’s 1938 manifesto “Towards a Free Revolutionary Art.” Al-Tatawwur professes a commitment to “protecting the freedom of art and culture.” However, this often seems in tension with their almost militant educational and political mission. Throughout these four cases a series of recurring concerns emerge. First, painting and sculpture are presented as important first and foremost because of the ways in which they can be useful or beneficial. Their uses differ from chapter to chapter however each group approaches artistic production through the prism of function and benefit. Secondly, in each situation we find ourselves at a moment of crisis, in which a particular group feels threatened and thus attempts to reach out a larger public, as a means of reasserting their position and reaffirming their relevance. Repeatedly, artistic production seems to be the most appropriate way of doing this. The third central theme of this dissertation the educational quality and potential of the fine arts; despite their seemingly varied positions, the writers and thinkers I discuss attach an educational function to artistic production. There seems to be a unanimous agreement on the stakes, despite political orientation: the struggle is a civilizational one, and art is the barometer for progress. In tracing the establishment and development of modern art in Egypt, this dissertation offers a set of innovative perspectives and engages with a number of different fields of inquiry related to the cultural and intellectual history of Egypt. While a literary and linguistic Nahda, has been the subject of much study, the existence and importance of a visual Nahda has been largely absent. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction......................................................................................................................................1 Chapter One...................................................................................................................................14 In Defense of the Fine Arts?: Rereading Muhammad ‘Abduh’s Fatwa. Chapter Two..................................................................................................................................62 The Making and Educating of the Egyptian Artist. Chapter Three……………………………………………………………………………..........110 “The Message of Art and Good Taste”: Art Criticism and Sawt el-Fannan. Chapter Four…………………………………………………………………………………...148 In Defense of Art: The Conflicting Missions of al-Fann wa-l-Hurriya Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………….......187 Selected Bibliography………………………………………………………………………......192 Appendix A……………………………………………………………………………………...200 Appendix B……………………………………………………………………………………...206 i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I begin by thanking my advisor Professor Timothy Mitchell for his unwavering support in the completion of this dissertation. He has been the source of invaluable advice, feedback, and encouragement. This project could not have been completed without his critical eye and generous spirit. My gratitude also to my committee members for their time, advice, and insightful comments on my work. I am grateful to Professor Gil Anidjar for always being both an uncompromising critic and an enthusiastic advocate; I continue to benefit equally from his critical engagement and constant support. Professors Omnia El Shakry and Kirsten Scheid have both the source of thoughtful feedback and difficult but invaluable questions. Their enthusiasm and interest in my work pushes me to continue thinking about the possibilities and potential of this project. I would also like to thank Professor Brinkley Messick for his engagement with my work and his incisive comments. I am also grateful to Professor Joseph Massad for his mentorship and support beginning in my first weeks at Columbia. He first introduced me to the field of Arab intellectual history and continues to be a tremendous influence and inspiration. I am especially indebted to Professor Samia Mehrez, who first exposed me to Arabic literature as an undergraduate at the American University in Cairo, and singlehandedly redirected the course of my (academic) life. As a teacher, mentor, and friend, I continue to learn from her generous spirit and critical eye. I am grateful to William Wells for giving me the opportunity to realize that my interests lay in the visual arts. I will always cherish his friendship, our endless conversations at the Estoril, and his unwavering belief in the importance of my work. ii This dissertation is the result numerous conversations and I would like to thank all of those who have engaged with my work over the last few years. I presented parts of Chapter One at the Middle Eastern Studies Association Annual Meeting 2008 and an abridged version is forthcoming in A Companion to Modern African Art under the title ““One of the Best Tools for Learning”: Rethinking the Role of ‘Abduh’s Fatwa in Egyptian.” An earlier version of Chapter Four was first presented at Columbia University’s Middle East and North Africa workshop and at the Middle Eastern Studies Association Annual Meeting 2010 in San Diego. I would also like to thank the organizers of the “Art Known As Education” program at the Alexandria Contemporary Arts Forum, who invited me to present my work and helped me rethink some of my central interests. Conducting research in Cairo was an often-challenging experience, made much easier by the generosity of many. I am grateful to Mohamed Talaat for constantly mining his contacts and introducing me to art critics and historians. Emad Abu Ghazi kindly allowed me access to his family’s records and personal archive. Wagheeh Wahba made the library at the Cairo Atelier available to me. I would like to thank Stephen Urgola and Ola Seif for allowing me access to many exciting collections at the American University in Cairo’s Rare Books Library, especially the Hassan Fathy Collection. My journey through graduate school would have been a far lonelier and much less rewarding experience were it not for the friends I met along the way. Hala Al-Hoshan, Elizabeth Johnston, Tsolin Nalbantian, and Nader Uthman helped make Columbia and New York my home. I am grateful to them for their years of love, friendship, and support and will always look back on our struggles together with fondness. Sherene Seikaly has been an unwavering source of iii support, strength and love. In the many moments when I thought I would never finish, she was there to remind me otherwise. Shana Minkin has been a constant cheerleader and loving friend, always a phone call away. Sarah Rogers has been to be a tireless reader, invaluable interlocutor, and a wonderful friend. I have learnt a great deal about the field of art history and our collaborations continue to be some of my most fruitful. Jennifer Derr, my friend, sister, roommate, colleague, fellow traveler, cross-Atlantic compatriot; it is surely impossible to imagine this journey without her. The months I spent in Cairo completing my research were both challenging and rewarding. I am fortunate to have had a group of friends who shared my