Paolo Fortcella

Paolo Forcella, originally from Puglia, had received training in the fine arts in Naples and likely arrived in Cairo near the end of the 19th century, following his brother Nicola Forcella, who was a teacher at the khedivial school of Applied Arts. The orientalist paintings of the Forcella brothers, which depicted medieval Cairo, its mosques and minarets, desert landscapes, Egyptian women, and other popular orientalist subjects like traditional markets and carpet sellers, were highly valued by the khedivial family.

Paolo Forcella’s leadership in the drawing and painting section was significant in establishing the standards, aesthetics, techniques, and mediums that were passed on to the first generation of students at the newly established institution. In his report to King Fuad I in 1911, Paolo Forcella explained that despite the prevailing pessimism about the success of founding such a school in Egypt, his students showed considerable talent and inclination for the fine arts in general.