Nikolaos Gyzis (1842–1901)
Historia, c. 1892
Oil on panel
Private collection
Nikolaos Gyzis (1 March 1842 – 4 January 1901) was considered one of Greece's most important 19th-century painters. He was most famous for his work Eros and the Painter (See below), his first genre painting. It was auctioned in May 2006 at Bonhams in London, being last exhibited in Greece in 1928. He was the major representative of the so-called "Munich School", the major 19th-century Greek art movement.
Nikolaos Gyzis
Eros and the Painter, c. 1868
Oil on canvas
50 x 40 cm
Private collection
Gyzis was born in the village of Sklavochori, on the island of Tinos which has a long artistic history. As his family settled in Athens in 1850, he soon embarked on a study at the Athens School of Fine Arts. His studies there, formed the foundation of his artistic education and helped him to develop his natural skill in painting.
Nikolaos Gysis (Greek, 1842–1901)
The painter in the Orient
Oil on canvas
56 x 80 cm. (22 x 31.5 in.)
Private collection
In 1865, having won a scholarship, he went to continue his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts, Munich, where he settled for the rest of his life. He was very soon incorporated into the German pictorial climate, and became one of its most characteristic representatives of the Greek artistic movement of the Munich School. This is expressed in the painting News of Victory of 1871, which deals with the Franco-Prussian War, and the painting Apotheosis i Thriamvos tis Vavarias (Apotheosis or Triumph of Bavaria) (See below).
Gyzis Nikolaos (1842 - 1901)
The Apotheosis of Bavaria, c. 1895 - 1899
Oil on canvas
73 x 125 cm
National Gallery, Athens
Gysis was commissioned by the city of Nuremberg to decorate the ceiling of the assembly hall of the Museum of Decorative Objects. In honour of his adopted country Nikolaos chose as his theme the Apotheosis of Bavaria, celebrating the achievements of King Ludwig I. The composition is based on the triumphant entries of emperors immortalised in ancient Roman art. Bavaria rides in a chariot while surrounded by various personifications, including that of Science. Gysis was careful to provide each figure with individualised features. More on this painting
Nikolaos Gyzis (1842-1901)
Study of Eros for the Apotheosis of Bavaria, 1895-99
Charcoal sketch
1,75X1,20 m
The European Museums Network
Nikolaos Gyzis (1842-1901)
Study; The Apotheosis of Bavaria, the head of “Science”
Charcoal, sanguine and chalk on paper
43.5 x 31 cm. (17 x 12 1/4 in.)
Private collection
From 1886 onward he was professor at the Academy of Fine Arts, Munich, and gradually turned from the detailed realistic depictions towards compositions of a singularly impressionistic character.
Nikolaos Gyzis (1842–1901)
After the destruction of Psara, c. 1896-1898
Oil on canvas
133 x 188 cm
National Gallery of Athens
On the morning of June 20, 1824, the Turkish fleet began the destruction of Psarra, signifying one of the biggest blows to the revolutionary effort.
The Turkish fleet comprised of 176 ships (warships and transports), carrying 17,000 Turkish and Albanian troops. The forces defending Psara included 1,300 Psarians, 700 refugee troops, and 1,027 mercenaries from Macedonia and Thessaly. The island’s 100 ships were a sizeable force that posed a thorn in Turkish naval operations.
They then disembarked and proceeded to destroy the islands defenders. Very quickly they began the systematic roundup and slaughter of the inhabitants. Horrific scenes ensued, with streets strewn with the corpses of old men, women and children. More on the destruction of Psara
Nikolaos Gyzis (1842-1900)
Carnival at Athens, c. 1892
Oil on canvas
I have no further description, at this time
Nikolaos Gyzis (1842-1900), gives a characteristic scene of the celebration of the Greek carnival of the time.
At the beginning of the 1870s returned to Greece for a period of several years, after which he produced a sequence paintings with more avowedly Greek themes, such as the Carnival at Athens (See above) and the Arravoniasmata (Engagement Ceremony) (See below) and a little later the painting After the destruction of Psara (See above). Towards the end of his life, in the 1890s, he took a turn toward more religious themes, with his best known work of the later period being Triumph of Religion.
Nikolaos Gyzis, 1842 - 1901
The engagements of children, c. 1875
Oil on canvas
103 x 155 cm
I have no further description, at this time
Gyzis died in Munich. More on Nikolaos Gyzis
Nikolaos Gyzis, 1842 - 1901
Arachne, c. 1884
Charcoal and pencil on paper
67 by 52 cm., 26¼ by 20½ in.
Private collection
Arachne, a young woman who, according to an ancient Greek myth, challenged the goddess Athena to a weaving contest. In case of defeat, Arachne promised she would willingly forfeit all and let Athena decide her fate. When both contestants had completed their work, Athena was unable to find a flaw in the undeniably skillful tapestry Arachne had woven. She was, however, enraged by the content of the work, for Arachne had chosen to illustrate the stories and corruption of the wicked Gods. Athena tore the work to pieces and struck the girl repeatedly until, overcome with despair, Arachne hung herself from a beam. Moved by compassion, Athena brought her back to life but fated her to weave forever in the new form of a spider. More on this painting
Nikolaos Gyzis
The spider, c. 1884
Oil on canvas
71 x 51.5 cm
National Art Gallery (Alexandros Soutzos Museum), Athens, Greece
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