Collecting 101

1.

The Birth of a Nation

The starting point for the art of Modern Greece coincides with the founding of the independent Greek state in 1832, which followed the successful outcome of the Greek War of Independence. Greece has a very rich modern history that most people tend to neglect and this is reflected in the range of movements and schools that have emerged since the mid-19th century.

One of the most important movements to emerge from that era was the Munich School which encompasses artists who were trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Munich between 1850 and 1918, under the encouragement of the Greek government. Leading figures of the school include Nikolaos Gyzis, Nikiforos Lytras, George Jacobides and Constantinos Volonakis, who is known as the father of Greek seascape painting.

The early 20th century marks the beginnings of Greek Modernism and a shift from academic painting to Greek plein air painting, influenced by the rise of French Impressionism and Post Impressionism’s study of light and colour. The Omas Techni group was particularly prominent at this time, with Nikos Lytras, Contantinos Parthenis and Costas Maleas as its key players. This shift in Greek art coincided with political upheavals in the country and the rise of Eleutherios Venizelos, leader of the Greek national liberation movement, who oversaw the creation of the first exhibition halls of Greece and was a supporter of the Omas Techni.

2.

Reference and Innovation

For Greece, the interwar period was marked by the Asia Minor Disaster which saw the Greek army heavily defeated by Turkish forces in 1922 and the loss of important territory. This traumatic experience created the need for national self-affirmation which was expressed through a turn to tradition.

The revival of Byzantine art by Fotis Kontoglou and the discovery of Theofilos Hadjimichael’s folk painting were instrumental in the development of Greek art in the 1930s. Embracing the ancient techniques of vase painting, mosaics and even shadow puppet theatre, Greek artists aimed to capture the essence of ‘Greekness’ through a visual language that linked the European avant-garde with the Ancient Greek tradition.

Key figures from the ‘Generation of the 30s’, as it became known, include Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghikas who was associated with Cubism; Yannis Tsarouchis and Diamantis Diamantopoulos who embraced Fauvism; Yiannis Moralis who became known for his paintings in the tradition of geometric abstraction; Giorgios Gounaropoulos and Polykleitos Rengos who aligned themselves with Symbolism; and Gerasimos Steris and Nikos Engonopoulos who became involved with metaphysics and Surrealism.

3.

Post-war and Beyond

After 1945 Greece was left politically unstable and there was a lack of funding and infrastructure for fine art in the country, a situation which was only made worse by the later dictatorship of the 60s and 70s. As a result, many artists left for France, Italy, the US and Germany during this period and sought to align themselves with movements such as Arte Povera which included Greek artists such as Nikos Kessanlis and Vlassis Caniaras as well as the celebrated Jannis Kounellis.

Additionally, artists such as Jannis Spyropoulos and Alecos Condopoulos pioneered the art of abstraction in the country, showing their work at the Venice Biennale and beyond, while Theodore Stamos is counted as one of the founders of Abstract Expressionism and is still widely collected today along with Jean Xceron, who was the subject of a solo show at the Guggenheim in 1965, where he had previously worked as a security guard for 26 years. A number of important Greek artists were also prominent in the Op Art, Pop Art and Realist movements, confirming this country’s important contribution to modern art.

4.

Postmodernism in Greece

Towards the end of the 20th century, in an effort to redefine cultural identity and in response to the ever-increasing globalisation of artistic practices and ways of living, both young and older Greek artists turned to sources of inspiration that were overlooked during the reign of high Modernism. Here we see a shift towards works that echo the same quest for “Greekness” that marked the prolific 1930s generation. In particular, figures such as Alecos Fassianos, Dimitri Mytaras, George Derpapas, Christos Bokoros and Pavlos Samios returned to figuration to explore themes of Greek culture through religion, mythology and the art of antiquity as part of this shift to the past.

5.

On the Market

The market for Greek art has been rising steadily in recent years though it saw a low point after the financial crisis of 2009 - an era which was defined by financial austerity in Greece. As a result, there was a noticeable change in supply and demand that was accompanied by relative pricing adjustments.

Interestingly, this correlated with a shift in taste from 19th century works and works by the Omas Techni group to an increased demand for artists of the 30s generation. This demand continues today along with a growing interest in more contemporary work.

Our next Greek Sale is taking place in Paris on 24 November. Contact our specialist team or visit the online sell hub to receive a complimentary and confidential valuation of works in your collection.