This essay addresses a key moment in the development of Egyptian art practices in the early twentieth century reflecting the dynamics and stakes of global modernisms by focusing on a generation of painters and sculptors commonly referred to as «the pioneers» (al-ruwwad). Trained at institutions such as the School of Fine Arts in Cairo, their works are rooted in the political project of a cultural awakening (nahda) while they translate the circulation of persons and objects between Egypt and Europe. This essay highlights the transcultural aspects of this artistic turn of events, which opened up the way for Egyptian avant-gardes.
Egypt, modernisms, fine arts, circulation.