It was a night full of surprises at Sotheby’s “Origins II” auction in Riyadh: Safeya Binzagr, a pioneering Saudi artist, stole the spotlight and even outshone Pablo Picasso. Her 1968 painting, Coffee Shop in Madina Road, hammered at $2.1 million, making history for Saudi and Arab art alike.
The Star of the Night
Binzagr’s painting flew past its $500,000 reserve, chased by two eager bidders—including a family member. The work ended up nearly ten times its high estimate, setting a record for a Saudi artist and becoming the third-most expensive Arab artwork ever sold at auction.
Her painting bursts with life: a bustling café on Madina Road, full of warmth, light, and daily Saudi rhythms. It’s a scene that seems to invite viewers in, almost like you could step right into it for a cup of coffee.
Picasso Takes a Back Seat
And then there was Picasso—or rather, the one who politely shared the spotlight. Paysage, painted during the final decade of the artist’s life, is a quiet, reflective landscape on cardboard, a study in subtle tones and late-life introspection.
It sold for $1.6 million, becoming the second most valuable artwork ever auctioned in Saudi Arabia. Yet on this night, Binzagr’s lively café scene seemed to steal the show, drawing energy from the crowd and nearly ten times its estimate. One phone bidder secured Picasso’s landscape while Binzagr’s work sparked a friendly bidding battle in the room. Sometimes, even the masters have to let a little local magic take center stage.
Who Was Safeya Binzagr?
Dubbed the “spiritual mother of contemporary Saudi art”, Binzagr was born in 1940 and studied in Cairo and London before returning to Saudi Arabia in 1968. Her first exhibition that year was among the first by a woman in the kingdom—though she couldn’t attend in person due to the rules of the time.
In 1995, she founded the Darat Safeya Binzagr, Saudi Arabia’s first cultural center for art, championing women and preserving her works. Binzagr passed away in 2024, leaving a lasting legacy and a rare body of work, most of which remains at the Darat.
A Record-Breaking Legacy
Binzagr’s triumph in Riyadh proves the global appetite for Saudi and Arab artists is growing. Collectors from over 40 countries participated, with around one-third of the lots sold locally. In a night where Western heavyweights underperformed, Binzagr reminded the world that sometimes, vibrant street life beats a quiet landscape—and even Picasso can be outshone.
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