22. THEOFILOS HADJIMICHAEL (1871-1934) Art & décoration

Description

22. THEOFILOS HADJIMICHAEL (1871-1934) Anatoli Signé, titré en grec et daté « 1920 » (en haut à droite) pigments naturels sur toile 73 x 98 cm. (28.7 × 38.6 in.) Peint en 1960 Provenance Private collection, Athens. Exhibitions Athens, Galerie 3, Theofilos, February 12 - March 27, 1982 (listed in the exhibition leaflet, no. 6, and illustrated in the exhibition catalogue). Literature Mesimvrini newspaper, March 2, 1982 (illustrated). E. Diamantopoulou, Theofilos in Mt. Pelion, Matters of Pictorial Staging, Alexandria editions, Athens 2007, p. 232, no. 11 (listed). Also listed in the book's amended version, Epikentro editions, Athens 2023, p. 208. This disarmingly beautiful picture bathed in a translucent, glowing atmosphere, is an allegorical composition featuring a double image of Sunrise: both as a magnificent sun disc emerging from the sea and as a lovely female personification in the form of an ancient Greek kore seated on the shore and contemplating the scene. Captured in sharp profile, echoing ancient Greek vase representations, the young girl is rendered both precise and timeless, while the glorious rising sun derives its expressive force from stylised folk-art conventions: multiple symmetry, repetitive pattern, saturated colour, and exaggerated scale. The composition is embraced by blossoms of roses, garlands of wildflowers, and other floral motifs captured with brilliant reds, sparkling greens, and radiant blues that recall the magnificent harmonies of Byzantine painting. As noted by cultural historian E. Papazachariou, "at the dawn of the 20th century, the renowned villages of Mount Pelion—and most notably Lechonia, with its small plain stretching from the foothills of the mountain down to the sea—were a true paradise. The houses were nestled within dense foliage and the gardens were brimming with rare flowers. This floral profusion deeply captivated Theofilos, who incorporated bouquets, potted plants, and lavish decorative garlands into his paintings."1 The idealised composition of Sunrise is an allegory of such a paradisiacal world, replete with symbols: roses representing love, water signifying time, and the peacock alluding to immortality. The whole atmosphere is imbued with a dreamlike aura, evoking childhood recollections, expressing Theofilos's lifelong fascination with Greek nature, and suggesting a particularly happy period in his art and life. 1 : E. Papazachariou, The Other Theofilos [in Greek], Kaktos editions, Athens 1997, p. 134.