Monday 29 September 2014

Flowers



 
Another visit to Antonello and what a treat it was!
 
 

  

 
Both windows looked spectacular
 
 
 

 
 
as did the shop
 
 
 

 
 

looking closer







everything just so






leaves and flower petals on the floor - great attention to detail








warm, autumnal colours




 

Quince and prickly pear amongst all the foliage and the flowers dominate the main window
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
fantastic colour combinations
 
 
 
 
 

 
detail
 
 
 
 
 
a brass lizard on the floor - something that escaped me while I was in the shop
 
 
 
 


looking closer





a luscious display of fruit on one of the stands






When I mentioned that the displays reminded me of still lifes I was told that they were the inspiration.







autumn colours





by the entrance



 
 
 looking closer 
 
 
 

 
roses and chillies

 
 



I particularly liked these bouquets on the counter




 
the dresser at the back of the shop
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

Saturday 27 September 2014

Constantinos Grammatopoulos



Constantinos Grammatopoulos at the Theoharaki Foundation, Vasilissis Sofias Avenue, Athens.

A retrospective exhibition of the works of the painter and engraver. The exhibition included oils, acrylics and posters but it was the flat plane of the woodcuts of the 1970s that appealed to me and this is what is predominantly included in this post.




 
Nude in Yellow, 1956, (oil on canvas)
 

 
 

 
The Upbringing of Zeus, 1958 (woodcut)




 
Galaxidi, 1990, (oil on canvas)
 
 
 
 
1940
 
 The Heroines of 1940 (poster)
 
 

 

 
Corfu, 1972, (woodcut)
 

 



Hydra II, 1980, (woodcut)




 
Myth III, The Kidnapping of Europa, 1971 (woodcut)
 
 
 

 
Aegean XVII, Skyros, 1973 (woodcut)
 

 
 


Delphi I, 1972, (woodcut)






Aegean VI, 1970 (woodcut)
 
 
 
 


Aegean XVI, Skyros, 1970 (woodcut)

 

 
Aegean XI, 1970, (woodcut)
 
 
 

 
Aegean V, 1970 (woodcut)
 
 
 

 
Aegean XV, 1973 (woodcut)
 
 



Emptying the Nets, 1977 (acrylic)

*   *   *
 
Grammatopoulos is best known for designing the readers for the first two years of primary school which were used in Greece from 1956 until 1974. There was a vitrine that exhibited these, but given that I have my own copies, (not the originals, unfortunately) I have reproduced some of the images for this post. This was a serious journey down memory lane for me. I learnt how to read and write from these books and their characters, Mimis, Lola, Anna and Ellie were part of my childhood.
 
 
 
 
The ABC book
 
 
 

 

The letter Pi (I don't have Greek characters on my laptop), so, all about a duck, papi
 
 
 
 


Omega, and the word hour/time





Sk: teacher, and thr: desk gr: writing

 
 
 
 
The Good Children
 
 
 


the letter O and getting the baby to sleep




 
 L for lalala and olalala Lola.
 
 
 
 


Thursday 25 September 2014

Jazz at the Numismatic Museum





An evening of listening to Jazz in the garden of the Numismatic Museum in Athens.

Every Thursday night is jazz night in the garden of the Numismatic Museum. The garden is delightful, and the building is imposing.







The museum is housed at the Iliou Melathron, a three-storey building on Panepistimiou Street in the centre of Athens.







It was built  by Ernst Ziller between 1878 and 1880 for Heinrich Schliemann the archaeologist. At the time of its completion, it was considered to be the most magnificent private residence in Athens. Its design was inspired by the Renaissance Revival movement as well as Neoclassicism, while the interior is influenced by the architecture of Pompeii. As a result, and appropriately, the rooms are decorated with mosaics and murals depicting either themes from the Trojan War or Greek mottos.




 
The concert was due to start at 9:00 but we arrived earlier than that as we wanted to get something to eat.
 

 
 

 
The grand staircase on our right
 

 
 

 
which leads to the main entrance of the building
 
 
 

 
 
 
looking up
 
 

 

 
a closer look at that statue
 

 



 
all very grand
 
 
 
 

 
the back (!) entrance
 

 
 
 

 
more sculpture in the garden
 

 



the musicians performed by the back entrance and the whole place was packed



 

 
zooming in on the singer and the band

 
 
 



 
It was a great evening and as we were leaving
 
 
 


I was able to have a more leisurely look at the entrance gates





 
looking closer
 

 
 
 

 
detail.