The Bank of Greece's Art Collection - 1

60 Years of the National Bank of Greece Cultural Foundation - Some of the art in their collection 

at the Benaki Museum, Pireos, Athens.

The bank's collection comprises more than 7,000 works of painting, printmaking, sculpture, drawings, illustrated books, tapestries, mosaics and ceramics. A fraction of it is displayed at the Benaki Museum. It spans the whole of the 20th century, giving us an overview of how Greek art developed in that period. The paintings were arranged thematically.

Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika, Flowers, 1976

Georgios Manoussakis, Still Life with Cycladic Idolo, 1970, (tempera on canvas)

Niki Karagatsi, Table with Paisley,  Table with Paisley Tablecloth, Palm Bush, Transistor Radio on a Chair, 1974, (oil on canvas)

Konstantinos Maleas, Still Life, 1910, (oil on canvas)

Loukas Venetoullas, Pressure Cooker, 1970, (oil on canvas)

Leuteris Kanakakis, Table, 1973, (oil on canvas)

Stefanos Daskalakis, Table, 1983, (oil on canvas)

Julia Andriadou, The Sacrificial Victim, 1973, (acrylic and collage on canvas)

looking closer

Demosthenes Kokkinidis, Piraeus, Immigration, 1961, (oil on cardboard)

Alkis Pierrakos, Hills in Rome, 1974, (mixed media on canvas)

Dimitris Perdikidis, Composition, 1974, (oil on paper)

looking closer

George Hadjimichalis, Notes, 2012, (acrylic on wood)

I wish I knew more about this painting, why Bobby Sands is pictured here.

Christos Lefakis, Composition No. 32, 1961, (mixed media on canvas)

There are a few paintings in this selection, where I did not note the name of the artist. I can't remember what happened, but I decided to include them in this post, because I liked them so much. I think this one might be by Alekos Kondopoulos, but I am not sure.

Stelios Mauromatis, Wagons, 1969, (mixed media on canvas)

Thanassis Stefopoulos, Landscape, 1970-79, (oil on canvas)

Spyros Vassiliou, Thessaloniki, 1977, (oil on canvas)

Paris Prekas, Parallel Forms, 1970, (oil on canvas)

The National Gallery in Athens

We went to the National Gallery in Athens to see the Democracy exhibition, but we also took the opportunity to have another look at some of the permanent exhibits.

In the foyez, Panagiotis Tetsis' fabulous mural. I have visited his house in Hydra which you can see here . You can also see some more of his work here

Panagiotis Tetsis, (Three panels), Street Market, Umbrellas (Street Market), Painting the Joy of Life, 1979-1982

Colourful crowds move in a fluid continuum, creating a prismatic abstract geometry of awnings, trucks, shopping carts, overflowing with fruit and vegetables. In Tetsis' art realism and abstraction coexist in perfect harmony. Built in broad brushstrokes of dense paint, the composition orchestrates the most startling harmonies. Tetsis delivers a powerful message of optimism. 

Street Market

Umbrellas (Street Market)

Painting the Joy of Life

Also in the foyer:

Rena Papaspyrou, Boalbeks (Images through Matter), 1986-88, (detached wall surface, extension with polythene, canvas, colour)

This is part of a separate exhibition so there will be a post on it later.

We had a look at the view from the foyer - Lycabettus hill in the distance

Kostas Varotsos' fabulous glass sculpture standing on the roundabout

And then we moved from the old building onto the new via this glass corridor

There is a water reel in the garden, lots of sculptures, including George Zongolopoulos' Umbrellas, and the cafe

 the new building is all glass

and the easiest way to move from one floor to another, rather than using the stairs or the lift, is these ramps which serve as walkways and which are fun and afford great views

stone wall on one side

and Lycabettus on the other

the rounded glass building is the gallery's amphitheatre, which is next to the cafe.

We had a look at the gallery's European collection. It's very small as this is a museum about Greek art. I have just picked a few paintings that I liked:

Pablo Picasso, Woman's Head, 1939, (oil on canvas)

Andre Lhote, Nude, 1949, (oil on canvas)

Andre Fougeron, Mother and Child in Red Uniform, 1944, (oil on canvas)

Francis Picabia, Head, 1949, (oil on cardboard)

Ivan Aivasowsky, Men on Rocks, 1898, (oil on panel)

Jan Brueghel the Younger, The Virgin Mary with Infant and St. John in a Landscape, 1620, (oil on panel)

Cherubs galore!

Cecco del Caravaggio, Young Musician in a Workshop of Musical Instruments or Allegory of the Five Senses, 1620, (oil on canvas)

As we left the museum, we had another, closer look at Costas Varotsos' fabulous sculpture, The Runner. If you want to find out more about it go here

Modern Greek art: The Dynamics of Ellipsis

Modern Greek Art: The Dynamics of Ellipsis -  the Bank of Greece Art Collection at the Theocharakis Museum, Athens.

The Bank of Greece art collection spans almost 100 years. The exhibition is organised in three secions, 'Places and Spaces', 'Myths and People' and 'The Dynamics of Ellipsis'.

The Dynamics of Ellipsis:

Abstract or semi-abstract works from the second half of the 20th century are to be found in the third section of this exhibition.

Manos Malfessis, Untitled, 1997, (wrought lead)

looking closer

Makis Theofylaktopoulos, Untitled, 2010, (oil on canvas)

Nikos Kessanlis, Phantasmagories, 1996, (liquid emulsion on canvas)

Antonis Donef, Untitled, 2015, (collage with archival material [maps])

Opy Zouni, Room Without A View, 1992-93, (acrylic on cardboard and wooden construction)

Kostis Velonis, Kastalia Spring I, 2022, (mixed media)

Vassilis Gerodimos, Three Loci, I, II, III, 2022, (paper, marble)

Rena Papaspyrou, Episodes in Matter, 1980-81, (mixed media, detached surface, anodized aluminium sheet, interfention with pencil)

Leda Papaconstantinou, Flags, 1987, (dry pastel and charcoal on paper mounted on MDF)

Paris Prekas, Sails, 1962, (oil on canvas)

Yannis Adamakos, Ochre Landscape, 2008, (oil on canvas)

Giorgos Mavroidis, Hydra, 1961, (oil on canvas)

Celeste Polychroniadi, Paradise Lost, 1960, (oil on hardboard)

Koula Bekiari, Autumn, 1950s, (oil on canvas mounted on hardboard)

Nikos Byzantios, Nocturne, 1971, (oil on canvas)