Ammar Farhat

Abstract

Ammar Farhat, a pioneering Tunisian artist, was a key figure in modern Tunisian art. His figurative paintings vividly depicted scenes of rural working-class life, traditional ceremonies, and musicians, particularly unique portrayals of Black Tunisian stambeli musicians. Through his art, he portrayed Tunisia’s diverse heritage with realism and emotional depth, becoming celebrated for his significant contributions to Tunisia’s post-colonial cultural renaissance.

Biography

Ammar Farhat's story is one of resilience and determination, as he rose from humble beginnings to become a significant figure in the history of modern Tunisian art. Despite never having attended school and remaining illiterate throughout his life, he overcame these challenges to become one of Tunisia’s most influential modern painters and an original member of the renowned École de Tunis.

Farhat's formative years were marked by significant hardship. Born in 1911 in Béja, Tunisia, to a farming family, he experienced the loss of his father at a young age. Two years later, the family's lands were expropriated by the French colonial authorities, leading to their relocation to Bab Saadoun in the heart of Tunis’s medina. This displacement deeply influenced his perception of social displacement and economic marginalisation, themes that would later resonate in his art.

The family’s poverty prevented formal education, forcing young Farhat into various occupations to survive. As a teenager, he worked as a travelling salesman, tobacco factory worker, docker, and night baker. He frequented the circles of society’s marginalised—including street vendors, day labourers, and those living on society’s periphery. Despite his imposing physical presence as a boxer, colleagues remembered him as humble, gentle, and generous, possessing an extraordinary sensitivity to human dignity in all its forms.

Farhat’s artistic journey began at a young age, a testament to his passion for self-improvement. At 15 he started creating charcoal portraits; a skill he honed through direct observation and practice rather than formal instruction. His dedication to his craft was evident in his door-to-door sales of his drawings, offering them at modest prices—a unique approach that set him apart from his contemporaries.

His breakthrough came at the 1938 Tunisian Salon, where his two watercolours caught the attention of Jacques Revault (1902–1986), the French architect, archaeologist, and director of the Office des Arts Indigènes, and Alexandre Fichet (1881–1967), colonial French painter and president of the Salon Tunisien, as well as a prominent socialist with interests in theatre. Winning first prize worth 100,000 francs and a trip to Paris, Farhat visited museums to deepen his knowledge of art history and discovered the École de Paris. The outbreak of World War II forced his return to Tunisia, where he organised his first solo exhibition in 1940 at the hall of the newspaper Le Petit Matin.

After winning the Prix du jeune artiste (Young Artist Award) in 1949, he returned to Paris and travelled extensively. In 1952, he departed for Rome, encountering Renaissance and Greek art. In 1957, he travelled to Sweden with fellow artist Zoubeïr Turki (1924–2009), and in 1960, he visited Tashkent in the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic.

Artistic Practice and Thematic Focus

Farhat’s work departed from colonial artistic traditions and exotic orientalist interpretations, instead focusing on authentic Tunisian life—on what art historian Alia Nakhli termed “Tunisianness” (al-tawnisiyya/al-dhat at-tunisiyya/al-shakhsiyya al-tunisiyya). His paintings represented scenes of working-class environments, capturing the dignity and humanity of their inhabitants while expressing what critics described as “the drama of a humanity grappling with life.”

His drawing style was notably simplified, essentially outlining contours with economy of means, employing a palette mainly composed of yellows, oranges, ochres, and browns. He showed little interest in still life, consistently choosing to focus on human subjects and their activities within their social contexts.

His subjects encompassed traditional daily labour—porters of water, bread, and jars, as portrayed in La Boulangerie (The Bakery, 1946); social gatherings including festivals, funerals, and musical performances, represented in Café chantant (Singing Café, 1957); and marginalized communities including beggars, itinerant merchants, and Bedouins like La Bédouine et l’enfant (The Bedouin Woman and Child, 1958). He also addressed contemporary subjects, painting young bathers and women in their daily occupations, as seen in La Famille (The Family, 1979).

Musical Themes and Cultural Documentation

Music played a central role in Farhat’s life and artistic production. His portrayals of Tunisian musicians were particularly significant, capturing performers of traditional ma’luf music with their distinctive instruments. Most notably and uniquely among his École de Tunis colleagues, Farhat painted scenes of stambeli music and ritual possession, depicting Black Tunisian musicians and practitioners with careful attention to their instruments and ceremonial objects. This subject matter was socially and politically sensitive, as stambeli represents the cultural heritage of Tunisia’s sub-Saharan African communities, often marginalized within dominant cultural narratives.

His musical interests extended beyond Tunisian traditions—he was an admirer of classical European composers, including Beethoven, Mozart, and Schubert, reportedly possessing the most extensive record collection among his circles. This musical passion informed his artistic sensibility and contributed to the rhythmic quality evident in many of his paintings.

Stylistic Evolution and Recognition

According to Ali Louati, Ammar’s artistic evolution can be divided into two periods. The 1940s were marked by bold, spontaneous brushwork with brilliant, rich tones expressing lively attitudes and dramatic flair. From the 1950s onward, his style became more restrained, with the palette’s richness giving way to more subtle combinations of greys, ochres, and golden yellows.

As his talent gained recognition, Farhat received numerous awards throughout his career, a testament to his influence and contribution to Tunisian art. Notable among these were the Prix du dessin artistique (Artistic Drawing Prize) in 1949 and the Prix national des œuvres plastiques (National Plastic Arts Prize) in 1983. His influence extended beyond his individual achievements, as he was a core member of the group’s inception, Groupe des dix (Group of Ten), which later became the Tunis School (École de Tunis) in 1949.

Cultural Impact and Legacy

Farhat’s work created a visual documentation of contemporary Tunisian society that resonated with both local and international audiences, challenging colonial representations while asserting cultural authenticity. Through portrayals ranging from street vendors such as Vendeur d’orange au souk (The Orange Seller in the Souk, 1980) to celebrations such as La mariée tunisienne (The Tunisian Bride, 1952), he established a visual language for post-independence Tunisian identity.

Beyond easel painting, Farhat contributed to mural painting, stamp design, and illustration work. His paintings frequently appeared in Tunisian periodicals such as Carthage (no. 1, 1965) as illustrations and cover designs, extending his cultural influence beyond gallery walls.

He exhibited regularly throughout his career. His association with the Tunis School facilitated his participation in major international group exhibitions, designed to promote Tunisian art and national identity. Notable international exhibitions included his contribution to the 29th Venice Biennale in 1958, where he exhibited Musiciens noirs (Black Musicians, 1957), the 2nd Alexandria Biennale (1957–58), and cultural diplomatic exhibitions throughout the late 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.

Ammar Farhat died in Tunis in 1987. That same year, artist and curator Abdelaziz Gorgi (1928–2008) opened his second gallery in Sidi Bou Saïd, naming it Ammar Farhat; the cultural centre of Béja also adopted his name. His legacy continues through the Maison de la Culture Ammar Farhat, which serves as a testament to his enduring influence on Tunisian cultural patrimony. His remarkable journey from an economically disadvantaged youth to one of Tunisia’s most celebrated painters remains an inspiration and testament to the transformative power of artistic dedication within Tunisia’s modern art history.

Bibliography

Bouzid, Dora. L’École de Tunis. Tunis: Alif, 1995: 29–32; 71.

Despiney, Elsa and Ridha Moumni (eds.). "FAHRAT Ammar." Artistes de Tunisie. Tunis: Kamel Lazaar Foundation; Cérès, 2019: 204–205.

Goulli, Sophie El and ʿIzz al-Dīn al-Madanī. Ammar Fahrat et son œuvre/Ammar Farḥāt wa intāǧuh. Tunis: Union Internationale de Banques, 1979.

Louati, Ali. L’Aventure de l’art moderne en Tunisie. Tunis: Simpact, 1997: 90–95.

Ounaina, Hamdi. La double histoire des artistes de l’École de Tunis. Ressources et stratégies de réussite des élites tunisiennes entre colonisation et État-Nation. PhD Thesis, Sorbonne Nouvelle Paris 3 University, 2009: 38–39.

Further Reading

Ben Cheikh, Naceur. Peindre à Tunis: Pratique artistique maghrébine et histoire. Paris: L’Harmattan, 2006.

Gerschultz, Jessica Clare. Decorative Arts of the Tunisian École: Fabrications of Modernism, Gender, and Power. University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2019.

Goulli, Sophie El. Peinture en Tunisie. Origines et développement. Tunis: Éditions Jumeaux, 1994.

Jankowsky, Richard C. Stambeli: Music, Trance, and Alterity in Tunisia. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2010.

Kateb-Ben Romdhane, Nariman El, Ali Louati and Habib Bida. Anthologie de la peinture en Tunisie 1894-1970, Tunis: Simpact, 1998.

Nakhli, Alia. Arts visuels en Tunisie. Artistes et institutions (1881-1981). Tunis: Nirvana, 2023.