Saliba Douaihy Achieves Top Result at Christie’s London

A painting by Lebanese-American modernist Saliba Douaihy achieved

the highest price in Christie’s Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art

sale in London, realising GBP 165,100, more than double its high estimate of

GBP 70,000.

The result was the highest individual price achieved in any dedicated MENA

art auction so far in 2026. The work, Untitled (Wadi Qannoubine series), an oil on canvas measuring 88.9 x 58.6 cm and painted in the 1980s, depicts the iconic Qadisha Valley gorge in northern Lebanon. The auction ran online from 2 to 16 June 2026 in London, marking the 20th anniversary of Christie’s inaugural Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art auction in the UAE.

Douaihy (1915–1994), born in Ehden in the northern Lebanese mountains, is

widely regarded as one of the most significant figures in the history of

Lebanese art. Trained in Rome and later based in New York, he developed a

luminous, semi-abstract landscape practice that drew from his deep

attachment to the Lebanese countryside. The Wadi Qannoubine series,

produced during what Christie’s described as “a pivotal transitional period in

the artist’s oeuvre,” represents some of his most sought-after late work.

The result carries broader significance for the market: competitive bidding

drove the hammer to GBP 165,100 against a low estimate of GBP 50,000, a

multiple of more than three times the lower bound.

Other strong results in the sale included Ahmed Mater’s Illumination XIX & XX

(2010) at GBP 127,000 and Mohamed Melehi’s 64 Quadrattini (64 Little

Squares) (c. 1960s) at GBP 152,400, but neither matched Douaihy’s margin

above estimate nor his headline price.

The Douaihy result underscores sustained collector demand for Lebanese

modernism and for works with deep topographic and cultural resonance

from the Levant.

Artist: Saliba Douaihy (1915, Ehden – 1994, New York)

Artwork title: Untitled (Wadi Qannoubine series)

Artwork date: Painted in the 1980sAuction house: Christie’s

Sale: Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art: Online

Sale location: London (online)

Sale date: 2–16 June 2026

Estimate: GBP 50,000–70,000

Price realised: GBP 165,100 (USD 190,361)

Image: Courtesy of Christie’s