Dora Khayatt (Arabic: دورا خياط; 1912 – 1986), also known as Dora Khayatt Plant, was an Egyptian-born painter. She was self-taught and known for her work in portraits, landscapes, and seascapes. Khayatt lived in Gladwyne, Pennsylvania for 27 years.
Dora Khayatt | |
|---|---|
دورا خياط | |
| Born | January 18, 1912 Cairo, Egypt |
| Died | November 6, 1986 Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Other names | Dora Khayatt Plant, D. Khayatt, Mrs. John Plant |
| Occupation | Visual artist |
| Years active | 1948–1986 |
| Spouse | John Plant |
| Parents |
|
Early life and family
editDora Khayatt was born on January 18, 1912, in Cairo, Egypt.[1] Her father Habib Khayatt Bey was an Egyptian senator.[2][3] Her mother was Regina Khayatt (née Wissa), an educator, feminist, suffragist, and temperance worker.[4] The family was Christian, and part of the Coptic Orthodox Church.[5] Dora Khayatt started drawing at a young age, and many of her summers in childhood were spent in Paris visiting art museums.[5][3] She never had any formal painting lessons.[6]
Khayatt and her future husband John Plant met during World War II when he was a Captain in the British Armed Forces serving in Egypt.[6][3] Plant later worked at Episcopal Academy in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, as a department chair of classics.[5]
Art career
editIn 1948 at age 36, she started pursuing art more seriously.[5] She was known for her work in portraits, florals, landscapes, and seascapes.[1] She painted with oils in impasto, and with watercolors.
Her first exhibition was at the British Council in Cairo, where she showed six paintings.[5] In 1949, The Redfern Gallery in London gave her a solo exhibition, in which she successfully sold almost all her displayed works.[5][7] The Redfern Gallery gave her a second solo exhibition in 1952, followed by a solo show in Paris at Galerie Durand-Ruel in 1956.[5]
In 1957, she and her husband moved to Gladwyne, Pennsylvania, where she remained for 27 years.[5] Her first solo exhibition in the United States was in 1961 at Wildenstein Gallery (now Wildenstein & Company) in New York City.[1] Other solo exhibitions included the Birmingham Museum of Art in 1973, and at the Union League of Philadelphia in 1976.[1]
Her work is included in the collection at Birmingham Museum of Art in Birmingham, Alabama,[1] and the Leicestershire County Council Artworks Collection.[8]
Death
editShe died on November 6, 1986, at Bryn Mawr Hospital.[5] She was cremated, and her remains were placed in a columbarium at the Church of the Redeemer in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.[5]
Solo exhibitions
edit- 1948, British Council in Cairo, Cairo, Egypt[5]
- 1949, The Redfern Gallery, London, England[5]
- 1952, The Redfern Gallery, London, England[5]
- 1956, Galerie Durand-Ruel, Paris, France[5]
- 1956, Salon d'Automne, Paris, France[1]
- 1961, Wildenstein Gallery (now Wildenstein & Company), New York City, New York, U.S.[1]
- 1973, Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.[1]
- 1976, Union League of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Khayatt, Dora". Benezit Dictionary of Artists. Oxford University Press. October 31, 2011. doi:10.1093/benz/9780199773787.article.b00098408. Retrieved 2024-11-16.
- ^ "International Wedding Today". Times Herald. 1936-03-25. Retrieved 2024-11-16 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Wallace, Andrew; Pelham, Fran (May 8, 1983). "Portrait of an artist on the Main Line". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 2024-11-16 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Cherrington, Ernest Hurst (1928). "Khayatt, Regina". Standard encyclopedia of the alcohol problem. Vol IV. Kansas-Newton. Westerville, Ohio: American Issue Publishing Co. p. 1464 – via Internet Archive.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Langfitt, Frank (November 16, 1986). "Dora Khayatt Plant, 74, widely known artist". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 2024-11-16 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Reef, Betty (November 3, 1961). "No Need For Lessons: Museums Art Best Teachers, Declares Self-Taught Artist". Asbury Park Press. Retrieved 2024-11-16 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Wallis, Nevile (1950-10-01). "At the Galleries: Young Visitors". The Observer. Retrieved 2024-11-16 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Khayatt, Dora, c.1912–1986". Art UK. Retrieved 2024-11-16.
