Today, Google's doodle celebrates the 104th birthday of Hussein Bicar, one of the most important Egyptian artists of the 20th century.
He was the First Egyptian to illustrate Arabic children's books
Bicar was a man of many talents, the most notable being illustrated art.
He studied and taught art in schools and universities. He furthered the journalistic field through illustration and he was the first Egyptian to illustrate Arabic children's books.
Bicar is also known for his oil painting and the subjects he chose to immortalize:
Egyptian workers
Scenes along the Nile:
Pharaonic themes:
He was a music teacher at the age of 9
Bicar showed talent from a very young age. At just 8-years-old, he could play the lute, and at 9, he was in high demand as a tutor for ladies who, for societal reasons, could not use adult male teachers.
When he was 15, he attended the Higher School of Fine Arts in Cairo. He found mentors and teachers, and they found incredible talent.
Among his teachers was the great sculptor, Mahmoud Mokhtar, and one of the greatest portrait artists in Egypt, Ahmed Sabry, who became his mentor and lifelong friend.
Stuck in Berlin during WWII
After he graduated, he began to teach primary and secondary schools. He was chosen as a member of a team to go to Morocco to teach, where he remained for four years.
He also traveled throughout Europe extensively, and was in Berlin when World War II was declared. He spent three months documenting (through art) his journey back to Egypt.
He then spent 17 years teaching art in the Faculty of Fine Arts as an assistant to Sabry, where he eventually became the chair of the painting department.
The author and illustrator of Sinbad
During the years of teaching, he was asked to illustrate drawings for the first book to be published in Egypt, The Stream of Days. This is where he discovered his love for illustrating and ultimately created Sinbad.
He also illustrated for the newspaper Akhbar El Yom, where the founders offered him a full-time job created just for him. The job required him to travel all over the world to produce illustrated reportage.
Bicar died in 2002, as an illustrator, teacher, reporter, musician, painter and storywriter.
He gave to the world his talent, and continues to give through his stories.