Constantine Andreou

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Constantine Andreou

Andreou
Born March 24, 1917
São Paulo, Brazil
Field Painting, Sculpture
Famous works Globe - Trinité (1974)
Awards Croix de Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur (2000), Commandeur de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (2001)


Constantine Andreou (Also: Costas Andreou, Kostas Andreou; French: Constantin Andréou, Costas Andréou; Greek: Κωνσταντίνος Ανδρέου, Κώστας Ανδρέου), (born March 24, 1917 in São Paulo, Brazil), is a painter and sculptor of Greek origin with a highly successful career that spans six decades. Andreou has been praised by many as an eminent figure in international art of the 20th century.[1][2][3][4]

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early Life (1917-1945)

Constantine Andreou was born in in São Paulo, Brazil in 1917 to Greek parents who had immigrated to Brazil a few years prior.[5]

In the 1925, his family moved back to Greece where he settled in Athens until the end of World War II. During these years, Andreou dabbled in crafts and for a period worked as a carpenter making furniture while studying technical design,[6] from which he graduated in 1935.[5] In the same year, he started his study of sculpture,[5] the artform that would make most known in the future.

In 1939, Andreou participated at the Panellinio (Πανελλήνιο) but the judges disqualified his three sculptures.[6] In 1942, he tried again at the same competition with the same artwork where they were so lifelike, he was accused of cheating of copying live nature.[6] To the defense of his work, three major personalities of the time in Greece came to his defense (Memos Makris, John Miliades, and Nikos Nikolaou) and as a result of the publicity, he had his first taste of fame and major exposure of his artwork.[6][7]

In 1940, Greece entered the World War II on the side of Allies and by 1941, the country was under Nazi and Italian occupation. Andreou was initially drafted into the Hellenic Army in 1940 and during the occupation he was an active member of the Greek Resistance.[5]

The war years and occupation did not stop Andreou from continuing his artwork and studies and in 1945, he won a French scholarship to go to France.[5]

[edit] Life in France (1945-2002)

In 1947, he began using a new personal technique to express himself: using welded copper sheets. This new technique allowed him to create a new way to express his creation in a way completely unrelated to tradition.[6]

A major impact on his method of expression and in the development of Andreou's personal "language" was his friendship with Le Corbusier. They first met in 1947 and worked together on and off until 1953.[6] At one time Le Corbusier asked Andreou, "Where did you learn how to work?" to which Andreou responded "I'm Greek, I carry the knowledge within me."[6] This friendship instilled in Andreou Le Corbusier's view of architecture as monumental sculpture and conversely, sculpture subject to the laws of architecture.[8]

In the same period, Andreou became a member of a select group of philosophers, including Jean-Paul Sartre, who discussed various topics in Saint-Germain-des-Prés.[9]

Andreou had his first exhibition in Paris in 1951 where he demonstrated the transformation of his style. In the group exhibition "Seven Greek Sculptors", Andreou excelled and was characterized as "the most famous Greek sculptor in the capital with a rich, varied and successful work".[10][11] By the end of the decade, Andreou was widely known in the French art scene and considered an equal to Mondrian, Picasso and Gastaud.[12]

In 1999, the library of the town La Ville-du-Bois, where Andreou resided while in France, was named in honor of Constantine Andreou.[6]

Throughout his time in France, he regularly visited his friends and family in Greece and many times exhibited in various cities and islands there. In 1977, Andreou bought a centuries old winery, that he converted to a house, on the island of Aegina after being influenced to buy a house on the island by his long time friend and colleague Nikos Nikolaou.[citation needed]

[edit] Later years and return to Greece (2002-)

[edit] Awards

[edit] Andreou's Work

Works by Andreou can be found in many private collections in Europe, North America and Asia.[5]

Constantine Andreou has also participated in the Biennale of Antwerp, Holland, Paris, Venice, and Yugoslavia.

[edit] List of Works

[edit] Sculptures

[edit] Paintings

  • List of Constantine Andreou paintings without a date
  • List of Constantine Andreou paintings 1935-1945
  • List of Constantine Andreou paintings 1946-1960
  • List of Constantine Andreou paintings 1961-1970
  • List of Constantine Andreou paintings 1971-1980
  • List of Constantine Andreou paintings 1981-1990
  • List of Constantine Andreou paintings 1991-1999
  • List of Constantine Andreou paintings 2000-present

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  • Institut Francais d' Athenes (invalid as of January 2007)
  • (1992) ΑΝΔΡΕΟΥ ζωγραφική αναδρομική 1950-1992 (in Greek). Municipality of Thessaloniki, Greece - Vafopoulio Cultural Center - Dimitria 27. 
  • Max Crose & Jean Goldman (March 1970). "Numėro special, Exposition Andrèou" (in French). Almanach (61). 
  • (1959) Andreou. Geneva, Switzerland: Cailler. 
  • B. Trėhet (March 19, 1991). "A.C.A.M. XVIe salon". 
  • Ν. Καλλονάς (June 19, 1942). "Πως ζουν οι παλιοί και οι μοντέρνοι ζωγράφοι" (in Greek). Βραδυνή. 
  • (June 23, 1942) "Η έκθεση τέχνης στην Αθήνα" (in Greek). 
  • Armando Pacheco Alues (December 12, 1952). "Una visita a Constantin Andréou" (in Spanish). Amanha. 
  • G. Dormand (June 4, 1953). "Jeune sculpture, jeunes sculpteurs au musée Bourdelle" (in French). Libération. 
  • A. Vignaud (June 7, 1953). "Dans les jardins de Musée Bourdelle: la femme au salon de la jeune sculpture" (in French). Dimanche Matin. 
  • Y. Jean (August 1953). "Flagrantes" (in Portuguese). São Paulo Magazine. 
  • M. Marseille (May 3, 1954). "Les expositions" (in French). La Vie Judiciaire. 
  • J. Mosellan (May 4, 1954). "Les expositions" (in French). Aux Écoutes du Monde. 
  • Y. Jean (August 1954). "Flagrantes" (in Portuguese). São Paulo Magazine (9). 
  • (October 12, 1954) "Un artistio grego expose no rio" (in Portuguese). A Noite Ilustrada. 
  • R. Kiehl (August 2, 1956). "Andréou" (in French). Les Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace. 
  • J. Cartier (October 15, 1956). "Les expositions" (in French). Combat. 
  • A. Marc (April 2, 1958). "Un sculpteur grec a Paris: Andréou" (in French). La Lanterne. 

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Michel Bourgeois in (1984) ANDREOU (in French). Paris, France: Les Editions du Temps. 
  2. ^ Greek Minister of Culture. "Presentation of 'Commandeur de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres' to Andreou" Athens, Greece (2001).
  3. ^ J.P. Langlois, introduction - (1997) Femme Femmes, peintures. Athens, Greece: G. Giannoussis. 
  4. ^ Statement by the Board of Directors of the Teloglion Art Foundation, pg. 8 - (2004) ανδρέου (in Greek). Thessaloniki, Greece: Teloglion Art Foundation, AUT. ISBN 960-87805-1-9. 
  5. ^ a b c d e f g (1999) ANDREOU ΓΛΥΠΤΙΚΗ SCULPTURE - bas reliefs in color. Athens, Greece: Bastas Editions. ISBN 960-7418-39-5. 
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j (2004) ανδρέου (in Greek). Thessaloniki, Greece: Teloglion Art Foundation, AUT. ISBN 960-87805-1-9. 
  7. ^ Μ. Καλλιγάς (June 19, 1942). "Πανελλήνια έκθεση γλυπτικής-ζωγραφικής" (in Greek). Ελεύθερο Βήμα. 
  8. ^ Βεατρίκη Σπηλιάδη (June 10, 1977). "Andreou" (in Greek). Καθημερινή. 
  9. ^ pg. 31 - (1980) L'art abstrait (in French). Paris: Pluriel. 
  10. ^ M. Baram (1953). "Sept Sculpteures grecs" (in French). France-Grèce. 
  11. ^ J.A. Cartier (May 7, 1953). "Sept sculpteurs grecs au Petit Palais" (in French). Combat. 
  12. ^ Jean-Paul Sartre (July 1959). "Andréou" (in French). Les Temps modernes (161). 


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v • d • e
Constantine Andreou
Monographies • Filmography • Exhibitions
Sculptures: No date, 1935–1945, 1946–1960, 1961–1970, 1971–1980, 1981–1990, 1991–1999, 2000–Present
Paintings: No date, 1935–1945, 1946–1960, 1961–1970, 1971–1980, 1981–1990, 1991–1999, 2000–Present


Persondata
NAME Andreou, Constantine
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Andreou, Costas; Andreou, Kostas; Andréou, Constantin (French); Andréou, Costas (French); Ανδρέου, Κωνσταντίνος (Greek); Ανδρέου, Κώστας (Greek)
SHORT DESCRIPTION Painter and Sculptor
DATE OF BIRTH March 24, 1917
PLACE OF BIRTH São Paulo, Brazil
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH
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