Under the Hammer
Anastasia Orfanidou's Top Picks from The Greek Sale
Bonhams is proud to present the inaugural Greek Sale on 19 May in Paris. With masterpieces that uncover a rich yet tumultuous past in Greece, the upcoming sale presents works by seminal figures of Greek art. From the historical paintings of Théodore Jacques Ralli (1852-1909) to the geometric modernism of Yiannis Moralis (1916-2009), there are works to fascinate every collector.
In anticipation of the upcoming auction, Bonhams' Greek Art Specialist Anastasia Orfanidou tells us about her top picks from the sale.
Lot 58
Théodore Jacques Ralli,
La Captive
Lot 58. Théodore Jacques Ralli (Greek, 1852-1909), La Captive. Estimate: € 300,000 - 500,000
Lot 58. Théodore Jacques Ralli (Greek, 1852-1909), La Captive. Estimate: € 300,000 - 500,000
La Captive, an artwork of exceptional quality and large scale, brilliantly encapsulates the infamous moment when Greece was invaded by the Ottoman Empire, which marked the beginning of the nation's darkest 400 years.
As a Greek myself, I have a very personal and emotional response to this painting, but what strikes me most is Ralli’s elegant and discrete approach within this unique pictorial narrative. The work speaks to the artist's attention to ethnographic detail (as seen in the faded Orthodox religious mural), careful composition, and skilful application of chiaroscuro. These intricacies have allowed Ralli to convey the pain and despair of invasion while bestowing dignity and grace on the captive - and by extension, the whole of the Greek nation - at such a tragic time.
Lot 18
George Jakobides,
Le Bouquet
Lot 18. Georgios Jakobides (Greek, 1852-1932), Le Bouquet. Estimate: € 60,000 - 80,000
Lot 18. Georgios Jakobides (Greek, 1852-1932), Le Bouquet. Estimate: € 60,000 - 80,000
Le Bouquet by George Jakobides is a real 19th century gem. One of the artist’s first works after he enrolled at the Royal Academy of Munich in 1877, the painting was exhibited in the Greek section of the 1878 World Fair in Paris where it received great critical acclaim.
In the words of Olga Metzafou-Polyzou in her monograph on the artist, "Le Bouquet is one of Jakobides's most characteristic works, showcasing all the qualities that established him as a leading figure in Modern Greek art at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. The painting's solid structure, clarity in the treatment of complementary elements, love in the rendering of details, and use of dark warm colours speak of his apprenticeship with Nikiforos Lytras and his fertile assimilation of the teachings of the Munich School.”
Lot 123
Christos Bokoros,
Flammes
Lot 123. Christos Bokoros (Greek, born 1956), Flammes. Estimate: € 10,000 - 15,000
Lot 123. Christos Bokoros (Greek, born 1956), Flammes. Estimate: € 10,000 - 15,000
What particularly strikes me about contemporary artist Christos Bokoros is his spiritual approach towards his artistic practice, and his use of Christian worship motifs. Flammes is centred on the portrayal of candle flames, a religious symbol associated with Orthodox rituals in commemoration of the living and the departed. Bokoros removes the symbol from this traditional context and provides us instead with a new reading: that of spiritual rebirth, hope, persistence, and continuity. The use of wood as a medium is carefully selected for its religious connotations and uniqueness as an object that retains memories of its former use.
Lot 64
Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika,
Country Café I
Lot 64. Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika (Greek, 1906-1994), Country Café I. Estimate: € 30,000 - 40,000
Lot 64. Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika (Greek, 1906-1994), Country Café I. Estimate: € 30,000 - 40,000
In Country Café I, Niko Ghika perfectly encapsulates the values of the celebrated modernist movement, the Generation of the 30s, by employing a European avant-garde style to depict a Greek folk subject. The detailed representation of the initialled chair in the foreground, the crosswise fence, the arched lintels embellished with electric lights - all of these elements embrace the spirit of Greek rural life. Meanwhile, the modern approach to composition reveals Ghika’s exploration of Cubism and its spatial properties.
When I look at this painting, I get a great sense of how harmoniously the artist has reconciled what might seem to be opposites: classicism and modernism, Athenian and Parisian, Greek tradition and cosmopolitanism.
Lot 33
Nikos Engonopoulos,
Sur la guerre d' Indépendance (Paysage orphique)
Lot 33. Nikos Engonopoulos (Greek, 1907-1985), Sur la guerre d' Indépendance (Paysage orphique). Estimate: € 140,000 - 180,000
Lot 33. Nikos Engonopoulos (Greek, 1907-1985), Sur la guerre d' Indépendance (Paysage orphique). Estimate: € 140,000 - 180,000
Painted in 1939, when much of Europe lived under the shadow of impending war and oppression, this painting instead draws upon an earlier conflict from 1821 to 1832: the Greek Revolution and War of Independence.
This work was exhibited in the 1954 Venice Biennale, where, for the first time, Greece was represented by one artist alone: Nikos Engonopoulos. Engonopoulos showed alongside towering figures of Modernism such as Hans Arp, Joan Miró, Francis Bacon, and René Magritte.
Sur la Guerre d'Indépendance (Paysage Orphique) is an emblematic work both in quality and size; it is a leading example of the artist’s pre-war period. The rich references to Greece’s history and modern culture, ranging from antiquities to the modern world, epitomizes the main aesthetic and ideological preoccupations of Greece’s acclaimed intellectual and social movement of the Generation of the 30s.
Anastasia Orfanidou is a Greek Art Specialist, based in London. She can be reached at anastasia.orfanidou@bonhams.com
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