play ing ▁viol in ▁and ▁l ute ). ▁From ▁ 1 9 0 6 - 1 0 , ▁he ▁studied ▁law ▁at ▁Ly ons . ▁From ▁ 1 9 1 0 ▁to ▁ 1 9 1 4 ▁he ▁en rolled ▁in ▁art ▁studies ▁at ▁the ▁Academy ▁of ▁Fine ▁Arts ▁in ▁Florence , ▁Italy , ▁the ▁first ▁student ▁to ▁do ▁so ▁from ▁Egypt . ▁Claude ▁Mon et ▁( 1 8 4 0 - 1 9 2 6 ) ▁was ▁his ▁teacher ▁in ▁the ▁art ▁of ▁European ▁Im pression ism . ▁The ▁painter ’ s ▁sister ▁is ▁E ff at ▁N agy , ▁also ▁a ▁well ▁known ▁painter ▁in ▁Egypt . ▁ ▁Professional ▁life ▁and ▁legacy ▁N agy ▁returned ▁ ▁to ▁Alexand ria ▁during ▁the ▁World ▁War ▁I , ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁fired ▁by ▁a ▁" rad ical ▁approach ▁towards ▁classic ▁rules ▁of ▁art " ▁and ▁concentr ated ▁his ▁painting ▁on ▁ ▁Im pression ism . ▁His ▁paint ings ▁were ▁a ▁mix ▁of ▁Egypt ’ s ▁traditional ▁and ▁the ▁modern ▁art ▁forms . ▁Nature ▁was ▁his ▁theme , ▁and ▁art ▁work ▁on ▁walls ▁and ▁permanent ▁surfaces ▁done ▁by ▁artists ▁of ▁An cient ▁Egypt ▁ent h used ▁him . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁N agy ▁started ▁his ▁am bit ious ▁project ▁titled ▁" Alex and ria ▁School " ▁when ▁he ▁head ed ▁the ▁Museum ▁of ▁Modern ▁Art ▁as ▁its ▁director . ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 2 , ▁to ▁give ▁shape ▁to ▁his ▁project , ▁he ▁decided ▁to ▁build ▁an ▁at el ier