Title

Imagining Egypt: nationalist art in the era of state-building,1900-1934

Author

Ruth Marcus

Abstract

This thesis analyzes the relationship between nationalism and modern art in Egypt during the first three decades of the twentieth century, looking in particular at how that relationship unfolded in the career of sculptor Mahmud Mukhtar. Through a methodology based upon Pierre Bourdieu’s sociology of art, the thesis presents the “mood of the age,” or the historical, sociopolitical and economic context in which Mukhtar worked, along with Mukhtar’s biography, before moving on to analyze some of his most significant sculptures. The conclusion drawn is that nationalism and modern art were mutually dependent during the early twentieth century. Artists like Mukhtar drew upon nationalist support and worked within a nationalist symbolic system; nationalists incorporated the arts into their discourse and projects of reform. Therefore the understanding of either one (Egyptian nationalism or Egyptian modern art) would be incomplete without attention to the other.

Department

Middle East Studies Center

Degree Name

MA in Middle East Studies

Date of Award

6-1-2009

Online Submission Date

February 2013

First Advisor

Rouchdy, Malak

Committee Member 1

Rouchdy, Malak

Committee Member 2

Pine, Adrienne

Document Type

Thesis

Extent

165 p.

Rights

The author retains all rights with regard to copyright. The author certifies that written permission from the owner(s) of third-party copyrighted matter included in the thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study has been obtained. The author further certifies that IRB approval has been obtained for this thesis, or that IRB approval is not necessary for this thesis. Insofar as this thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study is an educational record as defined in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 USC 1232g), the author has granted consent to disclosure of it to anyone who requests a copy. The author has granted the American University in Cairo or its agents a non-exclusive license to archive this thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study, and to make it accessible, in whole or in part, in all forms of media, now or hereafter known.

IRB

Not necessary for this item

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