Ashkan Baghestani, Sotheby’s Contemporary Arab and Iranian Art Specialist and Head of Sale, said: ‘The Minotaur Scares the Good People is a seminal painting by modern master Bahman Mohasses, which has remained in a private collection since the 1970s and is emerging now at auction for the first time. Every inch of the canvas displays the elements that are most sought-after in his works – from the elongated full-bodied and standing minotaur to the abundance of mythological elements and vibrant characters that hark back to his alter-ego Fifi. Testament to the growing demand from collectors and institutions across the globe for masterworks by Mohasses, a rare work by the artist achieved a record price of £584,750 at Sotheby’s London last year - triple the previous record at auction - so this exceptional work is expected to be greeted by much enthusiasm as it makes its debut appearance on the market.’

Sotheby’s London, March 2018 – One of the rarest works by the pioneering icon of Iranian modernism to ever appear at auction, Bahman Mohasses’ The Minotaur Scares the Good People is a highly-charged representation of the artist’s lifetime grappling with demons of alienation, loneliness and disenfranchisement. The dreamscape is populated with a plethora of half-human half-beast creatures, one of very few works by the artist to contain quite so many detailed figures. Hailing from the sought-after period of the 1960s, this irreverent avant-garde painting will make its auction debut as part of Sotheby’s 20th Century Art / Middle East sale on 24 April, offered with an estimate of £280,000-350,000. The work will be unveiled in our Sotheby’s Dubai galleries in the DIFC from Tuesday 20 – Saturday 24 March.