Art in modern Greece

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Although ancient Greek painters, artists of the Minoan civilization left us unique specimens of wall paintings, no painting works from classical antiquity have come down to us, excepting names of famous Greek painters. On the other hand, the Byzantine period produced completely different but equally significant paintings. Religion is the underlying driving force for the Greek painters of Byzantium - Domenico Theotocopoulos, or El Greco, deserves particular reference. This Greek painter was recognized as one of Europe’s greatest painters of all ages. He combined Byzantine tradition with Venetian art and the artistic style of Toledo (Spain) to form his particular style known as Greco’s style.

Greek Art evolved beyond this and took in a variety of influences from the Romanticist period, most notably Italian (and as mentioned more specifically, Venetian), the culmination of this was the distinctive style of Greek Romanticist art, inspired by revolutionary ideals as well as the geography and History of the country. Modern Greek has moved beyond this and has become a key area of focus of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture.

The artists who occupy a central position in the history of Greek art include: Pavlos Prosalentis, who is considered to be the first sculptor to work in an academic style at the beginning of the 19th century; Yannoulis Chalepas, a truly unique talent and personality; Dimitrios Filippotis and his classicizing yet realistic depiction of the human figure; Costas Dimitriadis with his Rodin-like style; and, later, Thanassis Apartis and Christos Kapralos.

[edit] Sculpture and Painting

[edit] The 19th Century

Many early Greek painters followed postgraduate studies in Munich. After centuries of Ottoman rule, few opportunities existed in Greece itself, immediately after independence, so study abroad was imperative for artists. Both academic and personal bonds developed between early Greek painters and Munich giving rise to the Greek "Munich School" of painting. This early period in Greece is dominated by German academism resulting from the influence of the Academy of Munich which many Greek artists attended. Many of these Munich School artists were interested in painting everyday Greek life, local customs, and living conditions. Several important painters emerge at this time. Theodoros Vryzakis specialized in historical painting and especially inspired by the 1821 Greek War of Independence. Nikiphoros Lytras concentrated on realistic depictions of Greek life. Nikolaos Gyzis painted a wide variety of works. Georgios Iakovides devoted his attention to infants and children. Constantinos Volanakis painted the Greek sea.

But at the same time that a school of painting, influenced by Munich, was being created in Greece, a few Greek painters studied in Paris, residing in the French capital, and despite following the guide-lines of the Academy, gave their own interpretation to the perception of things. Iakovos Rizos was involved with the rendering of female grace, Theodoros Rallis with scenes from the Orthodox East and Nikolaos Xydias with portraiture, still life and genre painting. During this period in Paris the avant garde Impressionist movement developed, but Greek painters remained faithful to the precepts of their teachers with only some nebulous thrusts in the direction of this movement. The only ex-ception was Pericles Pantazis who, after Paris, finally settled in Belgium and became a part of the avant-garde groups there.

Many Greek artists of this period also drew upon Greco's style for inspiration, particularly when creating art based around religious themes, this ties in with the idea of modern secular Greek art of the period referencing more classical styles, while religious art referenced Byzantine, or Byzantine inspired art.

Moreover, an important and often pioneering role was played by artists from Ionian islands in the 18th and the beginning of the 19th century, who exploited conquests of the Italian Renaissance and baroque ateliers. As efforts persisted with new directions and objectives, Greek artists emerging in the world during the first decades of the 19th century reconnected Greek art with its ancient tradition, as well as with the quests of the European ateliers, especially those of the Munich School, with defining examples of the Greek contemporary art of the period including the works of Theodoros Vryzakis and Nikiphoros Lytras. In the early twentieth century Demetrios Galanis , a contemporary and friend of Picasso, achieved wide recognition in France and lifelong membership of the Academie Francaise following his acclaim by the critic Andre Malreaux as an artist capable "of stirring emotions as powerful as those of Giotto". Later in the century Nikos Engonopoulos achieved international recognition with his surrealist conceptions both of painting and poetry, while in the late 1960s Dimitris Mytaras and Yiannis Psychopedis became associated with European critical realism.

[edit] Modern Period

At the beginning of the 20th century landscape painting held sway and the interest of painters turned toward the study of light and color. The dependence ïn Munich stackened as Paris be came the pole of attraction for the artists of the period. Impressionism was the original influence ïn the leading figures of the art of the first half of the 20th century, Constantinos Parthenis and Constantinos Maleas, while Nikolaos Lytras associated himself with the avant-garde groups of Munich constituting the last link with the series of painters in this great tradition. The further development of these painters led to other roads, but always within the framework of the avantgarde movement albeit with a Greek dimension.

Gradually the impressionists and other modern schools increased their influence. In the early 20th century Greek artists turned from Munich to Paris. The interest of Greek painters, artists changes from historical representations to Greek landscapes with an emphasis on light and colours so much abundant in Greece. Representatives of this artistic change are Konstantinos Parthenis, Konstantinos Maleas, Nicolaos Lytras and Georgios Bouzianis. K. Parthenis, in particular, introduces historical, religious and mythological elements that allow the classification of Greek painting into modern art. The same is true with the landscapes of K. Maleas and the expressionism of G. Bouzianis. The period of 1930’s was a landmark for the Greek painters, with Yiannis Tsarouchis, Yiannis Moralis, Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghikas, Spyros Vassileiou, Alekos Kontopoulos (introduced abstraction in Greek paintings) and Spyros Papaloukas coming into the limelight of Greek Art. These painters tried mainly to combine leading European trends with Greek tradition.

There also exist many regional variations of Greek art in the modern period, owing to Greece's unique geography incorporating many islands into it's national territory. One of the best known modern Greek sculptors is Constantine Andreou, recipient of the French Legion D'Honneur.

Constantinos Volanakis, Out of the Port	Nikolaos Gyzis, The Meal.	Nikolaos Lytras, Self portrait.	Nikolaos Gyzis, The Girl.
El Greco, Count Orgasz's Funeral.	Theodoros Vryzakis, Epanastasi.	Nikolaos Gyzis, Secret School.	Nikolaos Lytas, Man in a hat.