Born in Cairo in 1906 to a middle-class family with a Sufi Sheikh father, Hassan saw the early days of Egypt's semi-independence from Ottomans under British occupation. Typical of the vogue of the day at Cairo, he has been noted for his patriotism through the seeking of a modern identity of the nation embedded in both heritage and modernity. He died in Cairo on 30 March 1990, leaving three daughters and a son. His son Mohamed Hassan El-Feky followed his path and made a notable contribution to Egyptian contemporary art too.