174 tableaux qui peignent l’Algérie des années 1930 ont disparu. Les tableaux en question devaient arriver à Alger et être exposés dans les différents musées du pays, en commençant par le musée Etienne Dinet en 2004. La Sonatrach, représentée par MM. Mohamed Senhadji et Chekib Khelili, l’ancien ministre de l’énergie et des mines, a été chargé de les transférer de Washington DC à Alger. Mais sept ans après, personne ne sait où ont été détournés ces tableaux.
L’auteur des tableaux qui suscitent un mystère n’est autre que la grande artiste américaine Juanita Guccione (1904-1999), qui se considère comme l’une des artistes américaines les plus fécondes. Ami de Pablo Picasso et proche de l’écrivaine Anaïs Nin, Juanita Guccione a, entre 1930 et 1934, séjourné en Algérie, à Bou-Saada précisément. Là où elle s’est convertie à l’islam et s’est mariée avec le Caïd Mabrouk avec lequel elle a eu un fils unique, Djaloul Mabrouk. Ce dernier nous a contacté, il y a quelques jours. Il nous a exposé les détails de cette affaire. Il accuse ouvertement la Sonatrach d’avoir volé les 174 tableaux qu’il a cédés, de son plein gré, à l’Algérie pour rendre hommage à son pays natal et au pays auquel sa mère fut toujours, jusqu’au dernier jour de sa vie, restée attachée.
Djaloul Mabrouk, le seul héritier de Juanita Guccione a, vainement, essayé de contacter l’ambassade d’Algérie à Washington. Ses lettres restent sans réponse. De son coté, le ministère de la Culture algérien se dit non responsable de la disparation des tableaux, estimés à plus de 700.000 dollars, qui font partis de la mémoire culturelle du pays.
Djaloul Mabrouk qui s’attache fièrement à son identité algérienne se dit aujourd’hui piégé et regrette d’avoir fait confiance à des officiels algériens qui ont violé la mémoire de sa mère, la grande artiste Juanita Guccione.
Source : lematindz.net
(*) Le titre est de la rédaction
Inventaire des tableaux disparus
Oil on Canvas (18 works):
018 Bedouin Brother and Sister c.1933 Oil on Canvas-F c 31w x 25 $8,600
027 Marabout c.1933 Oil on Canvas-F 29w x 39 $10,000
033 Bou Saada Landscape c.1933 Oil on Canvas-F 39w x 29 $6,500
034 Man playing the Khyter c.1933 Oil on Canvas-F 28 1/2 w x 39 $9,500
079 Blind Man Praying c.1934 Oil on Canvas-UF 25 1/4 w x 32 $4,500
080 Young Woman c. 1933 Oil on Canvas-F 24 w x 29 1/2 $5,500
082 Ouled Nail Woman c. 1933 Oil on Canvas-F 25 w x 31 1/2 $4,500
101 Blind Man and Child c. 1933 Oil on Canvas-UF 39 1/2 w x 63 $10,000
270 Algerian Landscape c. 1934 Oil on Canvas (unstretched) 20 1/2 w x 16 1/4 $2,500
271 Bou Saada Scene c. 1932 Oil on Canvas-F 21 1/2 w x 18 $3,000
273 Atlas Mountain Scene c. 1934 Oil on Canvas-UF 22 w x 18 $2,500
274 Algerian Oasis c. 1934 Oil on Canvas (unstretched) 21 3/4 w x 17 3/4 $2,500
275 The Mosque, Algeria c. 1934 Oil on Canvas (unstretched) 17 1/2 w x19 3/4 $2,500
276 Algerian Scene c. 1934 Oil on Canvas (unstretched) 15 3/4 w x 19 1/2 $2,500
474 Nomads c.1932 Oil on Canvas (unstretched) 35 w x 39 $2,500
485 Street with Stair c. 1933 Oil on Canvas (unstretched) SIZE $1,050
530 Street with Camel c. 1933 Oil on Canvas (unstretched) SIZE $1,050
531 Woman holding Dog c. 1933 Watercolor-UF SIZE $1,050
Oil on Board (33 works):
004 Village in the Hills c. 1933 Oil on Board-UF 17 5/8 w x 21 1/2 $2,500
005 Portrait of a Woman c. 1932 Oil on Board-F 16 3/4 w x 21 $3,000
007 El Kantara c.1934 Oil on Board-UF 22 1/2 w x 18 3/8 $2,800
008 Michelet, Kabylie c.1933 Oil on Board-UF 20 w x 21 $2,800
009 Algerian Village c.1933 Oil on Board-F 26 w x 19 1/4 $2,800
010 Algerian Village c.1933 Oil on Board-F 26 w x 19 $2,900
011 El Kantara c.1935 Oil on Board-UF 20 w x 23 3/4 $2,400
012 Algerian Man c.1934 Oil on Board-F 13 1/2 w x 20 $3,200
013 Fallen Sculpture in window c. 1935 Oil on Board-UF 19 3/4 w x 23 1/2 $2,500
014 Fallen Sculpture and crowd c. 1935 Oil on Board-UF 20 w x 23 3/4 $2,500
015 Two Berber Children c.1934 Oil on Board-F 17 w x 23 $3,000
016 Washing Day, Algeria c.1934 Oil on Board-F 27 1/2 w x 22 1/2 $2,800
081 Seated Man c.1933 Oil on Board-F 21 1/2 w x 27 1/2 $2,800
083 Bedouin c.1933 Oil on Board-F 15 1/2 w x 26 1/2 $3,500
084 Boy from Algiers c.1933 Oil on Board-F 17 1/2 w x 27 1/2 $3,800
085 Bou Saada Girl c. 1933 Oil on Board-UF (signed on Back) 16 1/2 w x 22 1/2 $2,500
086 Bedouin c. 1933 Oil on Board-UF 16 1/2 w x 22 1/4 $2,600
087 Bou Saada scene c. 1933 Oil on Board-F 14 1/2 w x 14 3/4 $3,800
088 Red-eyed Boy c.1933 Oil on Board-F 18 w x 21 $3,500
089 Kabylie c.1933 Oil on Board-UF 17 1/4 w x 21 7/8 $2,600
090 Boat Man c. 1933 Oil on Board- UF 15 3/4 w x 12 $2,800
091 El Kantara c. 1933 Oil on Board-UF 26 1/4 w x 19 1/2 $2,800
Oil on Board, continued:
092 El Kantara c.1933 Oil on Board-UF 25 3/4 x 20 3/8 $2,800
093 Bou Saada c.1933Oil on Board-UF 22 w x 18 $2,800
094 Bou Saada c. 1933 Oil on Board-UF 22 3/4 w x 19 3/4 $2,900
096 Algerian Hills c 1933 Oil on Masonite-UF 15 1/2 w x 12 $2,500
097 Mosque c. 1933 Oil on Masonite-UF 11 3/4 w x 16 $2,500
099 Bou Saada (front) c. 1933 Oil on Board-UF 16 3/8 w x 16 $2500
100 Algerian Hillside c. 1933 Oil on Board-UF 19 w x 22 3/4 $2500
482 Berber Scene, Khabil (sig. Juanita Rice) c.1934 Oil on Board-UF 26w x 26 $2800
687 Street scene, c. 1933, Oil on board- F 14 w x 20 3/4 $2800
688 Algerian man, c. 1933, Oil on board, UF (plastic cover), 19 3/4 w x 26 1/4, $2500
689 El Kantara, Oil on board-UF, 26 w x 19 1/4, c. 1933, $2800
Watercolor (49 works):
326 Mosque, Bou Saada c. 1932 Watercolor-UF 9 w x 11 1/2 $1,350
330 Aures Mountains c. 1933 Watercolor-UF 9 w x 12 $1,050
333 Bou Saada c. 1933 Watercolor-UF 19 1/2 w x 13 1/4 $1,150
338 Bou Saada c. 1933 Watercolor-UF 9 1/2 w x 13 $1,200
420 Berber woman c. 1932 Watercolor – UF 8 w x 11 $1,150
424 Algerian Factory c. 1932 Watercolor-UF 10 w x 14 $1,150
428 Lake Shore, Algeria c. 1932 Watercolor-UF 9 1/2 w x 13 $1,150
429 Berber Woman c.1932 Watercolor-UF 10 w x 14 $1,150
430 Berber Boy c. 1932 Watercolor-UF 9 1/2 w x 13 $1,050
431 Berber Woman c.1932 Watercolor-UF 8 1/2 w x 11 1/4 $1,200
432 Market Day c. 1932 Watercolor-UF 8 1/2 w x 11 1/4 $1,050
433 Algerian Tomb c. 1932 Watercolor-UF 8 1/2 w x 11 1/4 $1,050
435 A Road in Algeria c. 1932 Watercolor-UF 8 1/2 w x 11 3/4 $1,050
541 El Kantara c. 1933 Watercolor-UF 19 w x 15 $1,800
542 Amira c. 1933 Watercolor-F 9 1/4 w x 12 1/2 $1,500
545 Street, 13 People, Camel c.1933 Watercolor-UF 12 1/4 w x 9 $1,050
546 Palm Tree and Rooftops c.1933 Watercolor-UF 9 w x 11 1/4 $1,050
547 Seated Algerian Woman c.1933 Watercolor-UF 10 w x 14 $1,100
548 Rooftops, Palms, and Mountains c. 1933 Watercolor-UF 10 3/4 w x 15 $1,200
549 Domed Shrine c.1933 Watercolor-UF 10 1/2 w x 11 3/4 $1,450
550 Seated Boy in Red Fez c. 1933 Watercolor-UF 9 w x 12 1/4 $1,150
551 Narrow Village Street, Mountains Watercolor-UF 8 w x 12 $1,500
553 Young Woman c. 1933 Watercolor-UF 9 w x 13 3/4 $950
554 Green Tree, Bridge over Dry Wadi c. 1933 Watercolor-UF 8 w x 11 $1,100
555 Old Woman, seated c. 1933 Watercolor-UF 9 w x 11 $1,250
556 Etienne Dinet’s Tomb, Palms c. 1933Watercolor-UF 10 w x 14 $1,300
557 Algerian Child in Red c.1933 Watercolor-F 8 w x 11 $1,250
558 Man with Red Hat, Working c.1933 Watercolor- UF 9 w x 12 $1,300
559 Village, Mountains c.1933Watercolor-UF 9 w x 12 $1,300
560 Mountains, Palms c.1933 Watercolor-UF 12 w x 9 $1,300
561 Algerian Funeral c. 1933 Watercolor-UF 10 w x 7 $1,250
562 Village, Mountains c. 1933 Watercolor-UF 12 w x 9 $1,500
563 Five Men in Red Hats (from above) c. 1933 Watercolor-UF 13 3/4 w x 9 $900
Watercolor (continued):
564 El Kantara c.1933 Watercolor-UF 12 w x 9 $1,500
565 Mountains, Winding Road c.1933 Watercolor-UF 12 w x 9 $950
566 Etienne Dinet’s Tomb, Bou Saada c.1933 Watercolor-UF 13 w x 11 $1,650
567 Dinet’s tomb, Mountains c. 1933 Watercolor-UF 13 w x 11 $1,250
568 Mountains, Village, Palm c.1933 Watercolor-UF 11 w x 9 $1,150
569 Purple Mountains, Village 1932 Watercolor-F 12 w x 9 $1,150
570 Dinet’s Tomb, Street, Palms c.1933 Watercolor-UF 12 w x 10 $1,100
571 Red Mountain c. 1933 Watercolor-UF 11 w x 9 $1,250
572 Village with Stair c.1933 Watercolor-F 10 1/2 w x 9 $1,650
573 Mountain Landscape (red, green) c.1933 Watercolor-UF 12 w x 9 $1,050
574 Seated Woman, Red Headdress c.1933 Watercolor-UF 9 w x 11 3/4 $1,200
575 Red Mountains c.1933 Watercolor-UF 9 w x 12 $1,150
576 Rooftop, Palms, Mountains c.1933 Watercolor-UF 17 w x 12 3/4 $1,500
604 Bridge c.1933 Watercolor-UF 9 w x 12 $1,150
605 Street with Tree and Men c. 1933 Watercolor-UF 16 w x 12 $1400
608 Berber Boy c.1933 (unsigned) Watercolor-F 7 3/4 w x 17 3/4 $1,250
Framed Charcoals (6 works):
042 Arab Girl c.1932 8 1/2 w x 11 1/4 $550
152 Bedouin Game c.1934 11 5/8 w x 7 $650
