Funeral held for renowned Palestinian artist Sliman Mansour

The funeral has taken place at a packed church in Birzeit, near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, for the celebrated Palestinian artist Sliman Mansour, who died this week at the age of 79.

He was best known for his bright and powerful paintings depicting the Palestinian landscape, with its olive groves and citrus trees, as well as cultural scenes featuring symbols of identity amid the nationalist struggle – the Palestinians’ pursuit of self-determination, independence and statehood.

One of his most famous works is Camel of Hardship, painted in 1973. It shows an elderly porter carrying the burden of Jerusalem and the golden Dome of the Rock on his back.

“He was actually the main Palestinian artist, the best known locally and internationally,” recalled his friend and fellow artist Vera Tamari.

Tamari said Mansour’s work showed “Palestine in all its beauty and hope”.

“He portrayed the Palestinian woman in her thobe – her traditional embroidered costume – and he portrayed people very much attached to the land,” she went on. “He wanted people to know that we are rooted here.”