THE HOLY FAMILY IN EGYPT BY THE COPTIC ARTIST, FARID FADEL

Farid Fadel Hanna Murkus is a Coptic Egyptian painter who is also a doctor and musician. He has produced so many works of art of Egyptian theme, and exhibited his works a few times. Some of his works are of purely Coptic nature, but with a curious modern Egyptian touch. One of them is the painting below.

The Virgin Mary and Child Jesus are depicted as in Western art; but the boat people and the donkey boy are all dressed in modern Egyptian garments, with jalabiya, taqiyya (skull-cap) and ‘imama (turban), and not in the costumes of the Roman period. The Nile, felucca, buildings, donkey, palm trees and pyramids are as they have always been when the Holy Family came to Egypt and then now.

What do I make of this painting? It is a beautiful piece of art, colourful and different. Any renovation in Coptic art is welcome.