Willy ARACTINGI (1930-2003). Lotus leaves, June 1992. Colored pencil on paper, signed and dated lower right. Height 25 cm - Width : 35 cm A certificate of authenticity may be issued by the artist's committee at the buyer's expense. Note: Willy Aractingi, born in New York and raised in Cairo, decided to settle in Beirut in the 1940s. He describes himself as a primitive naïve artist with a humorous style, using flat tints of color reminiscent of the Douanier Rousseau. In 1989, he began his great masterpiece illustrating the 244 Fables by Jean de la Fontaine. He then began to paint mainly scenes of life and landscapes around him, as well as illustrating Lebanese fairy tales.