Mahmoud Said (Egyptian, 1897-1964)

The Suez Canal, the artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt which connects the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea, was a triumph of nineteenth century engineering. Constructed on concession from Sa'id Pasha by the firm of Ferdinand de Lesseps, it was conceived as a waterway for all nations. Following excavations which lasted more than ten years and involving over 30,000 labourers at any given period, it opened on 17 November 1869 by French Empress Eugenie in the imperial yacht Aigle, it quickly transformed global navigation.

The present work is a small-scale sketch for a monumental painting of the same subject currently in the Mahmoud Said Museum in Alexandria.