Mohammed Racim

Mohammed Racim (, 24 June 189630 March 1975) was an Algerian artist who founded the Algerian School for Miniature Painting with his brother, Omar. It still exists to this day.

Biography Racim was born in The Casbah of Algiers in 1896 into a distinguished family of artists, whose pre-colonial prosperity had been undermined by the French regime's confiscation of property. In 1880, Racim's father had re-established a wood-carving and copper-working workshop in the Casbah of Algiers, where his brother, Omar Racim, engraved decorated tombstones. The Racim family won commissions for decorating public buildings and the pavilions of French colonial exhibitions.

His talent for drawing was recognised during his primary education when he was given work copying Islamic decorative motifs for the state workshops set up by the Governor Charles Jonnart. By about 1914, Racim discovered the works of the Persian, Mughal and Andalusian miniatures made for the private use of the Muslim nobility. The people of Algeria, prior to the French arrival, appear in his works as prosperous, given to fine textiles and costumes, and the arts of music, architecture and gardening.

Mohammed Racim and his wife were murdered in their home on 30 March 1975. He was buried with his wife in the Thaalibia Cemetery of the Casbah of Algiers.

Tribute On 24 June 2021, Google celebrated what would have been his 125th birthday with a Google Doodle.