Kadisha Valley, Lebanon. Original oil painting.
Original oil painting of the Kadisha Valley in Northern Lebanon. This gorge is the historical home of the Maronite Church, one of the few "non-Roman" catholic churches recognized by the Vatican. It has many monasteries, churches, caves and shrines, and is the birthplace of Kahlil Gibran and neighbourhood of St. Charbel Makhlouf. Historically, it was a thoroughfare both for Bedouin traders and 12th Century Christian crusaders. The scenery is stunning, the people welcoming, and the food memorable.
This painting is based on a photo looking out from the town of Hadath, possibly with Gibran's hometown of Bcharre in the distance, and the residence of the Maronite Patriarch in the foreground overlooking the gorge. The smear of dark green at top left is the famous Cedars of Lebanon forest (also known as the "Cedars of God"). Locals, sadly, say the entire mountainside used to be covered in them, now there are only around three hundred left, the rest having been used for building or export.
The diagonal composition and the shadowed drop into the gorge at left make for a dramatic piece.
July 2022.
Original painting oil on ACM panel 60cm x 40cm / 24"x16".
Original oil painting of the Kadisha Valley in Northern Lebanon. This gorge is the historical home of the Maronite Church, one of the few "non-Roman" catholic churches recognized by the Vatican. It has many monasteries, churches, caves and shrines, and is the birthplace of Kahlil Gibran and neighbourhood of St. Charbel Makhlouf. Historically, it was a thoroughfare both for Bedouin traders and 12th Century Christian crusaders. The scenery is stunning, the people welcoming, and the food memorable.
This painting is based on a photo looking out from the town of Hadath, possibly with Gibran's hometown of Bcharre in the distance, and the residence of the Maronite Patriarch in the foreground overlooking the gorge. The smear of dark green at top left is the famous Cedars of Lebanon forest (also known as the "Cedars of God"). Locals, sadly, say the entire mountainside used to be covered in them, now there are only around three hundred left, the rest having been used for building or export.
The diagonal composition and the shadowed drop into the gorge at left make for a dramatic piece.
July 2022.
Original painting oil on ACM panel 60cm x 40cm / 24"x16".
Original oil painting of the Kadisha Valley in Northern Lebanon. This gorge is the historical home of the Maronite Church, one of the few "non-Roman" catholic churches recognized by the Vatican. It has many monasteries, churches, caves and shrines, and is the birthplace of Kahlil Gibran and neighbourhood of St. Charbel Makhlouf. Historically, it was a thoroughfare both for Bedouin traders and 12th Century Christian crusaders. The scenery is stunning, the people welcoming, and the food memorable.
This painting is based on a photo looking out from the town of Hadath, possibly with Gibran's hometown of Bcharre in the distance, and the residence of the Maronite Patriarch in the foreground overlooking the gorge. The smear of dark green at top left is the famous Cedars of Lebanon forest (also known as the "Cedars of God"). Locals, sadly, say the entire mountainside used to be covered in them, now there are only around three hundred left, the rest having been used for building or export.
The diagonal composition and the shadowed drop into the gorge at left make for a dramatic piece.
July 2022.
Original painting oil on ACM panel 60cm x 40cm / 24"x16".