The Lebanese artist Aref el Rayess (1928–2005) pro- duced an impressive œuvre of paintings, drawings, collages, and sculptures, that remains largely unstudied. Rayess was an independent thinker, a political man and a free spirit. He lived in many places and his works reflect the spirit of those respective countries, times and art scenes. The subjects of his works range from individuals and society, abstraction and nature. His style changed constantly, but always remained unmistakable. This first monograph is dedicated to Aref el Rayess’s multifaceted artistic practice, focussing specifically on his paintings between 1949 and 2005.AREF EL RAYESS (1928–2005) studied art in Paris with Fernand Léger, among others, and resided in Lebanon, France, and Italy. With the onset of the civil war in 1975, he relocated to Saudi Arabia, where he assumed the role of art commissioner for the city of Jeddah. Rayess actively participated in exhibitions worldwide.