01 Painting, MIDDLE EASTERN ART, With Footnotes - 47

Mamdouh Kashlan, (Syrian, b. 1929)

Hammam Al Nissaa’s bil sham (Women’s public bath in Damascus), c. 1990

Oil on canvas

68 7/8 x 78 ¾ in. (175 x 200cm.)

Private collection

Damascus Public Baths (Hammams) were commonly used in Damascus as a civilized phenomena that denotes the interest of the Damascenes in their health, and cleanness of bodies. Going to the bath was a religious and social habit of life in the Orient in general and in Damascus in particular. 

With very limited means of entertainment in a closed society, women changed the visit to the bath into an opportunity to meet other women, and to deepen social relations. By time, public baths were linked to several social occasions like marriages, births, and preparations for feasts. Women used to spend long hours in the bath consuming all the time specified for them; usually from midday to the evening. More on Hammams

Mamdouh Kashlan (born 1929 in Damascus) is a Syrian painter. He has held more than 300 exhibitions in Syria and around the world and many of his paintings are on display in the National museums of Damascus, Aleppo and Deir Atieh and the presidential palace. His work is also on display in the Sorsoq Museum in Beirut, Lebanon, Modern art museum in Cairo, Egypt and has been displayed in Sofia, Bulgaria, Paris and Seinajoki, Finland. In 1996 he was awarded the pioneers prize from the ministry of culture. More on Mamdouh Kashlan

Please visit my other blogs: Art Collector, Mythology, Marine Art, Portrait of a Lady, The Orientalist, Art of the Nude and The Canals of Venice, And visit my Boards on Pinterest

Images are copyright of their respective owners, assignees or others. Some Images may be subject to copyright

I don't own any of these images - credit is always given when due unless it is unknown to me. if I post your images without your permission, please tell me.

I do not sell art, art prints, framed posters or reproductions. Ads are shown only to compensate the hosting expenses.

If you enjoyed this post, please share with friends and family.

Thank you for visiting my blog and also for liking its posts and pages.

Please note that the content of this post primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online.