Constantine Andreou
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Constantine Andreou (also: Costas Andreou, Kostas Andreou; french: Constantin Andréou, Costas Andréou; el, Κωνσταντίνος Ανδρέου, Κώστας Ανδρέου) (March 24, 1917 – October 8, 2007) was a painter and sculptor of
Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
origin with a highly successful career that spanned six decades. Andreou has been praised by many as an eminent figure in international art of the 20th century.Michel Bourgeois in J.P. Langlois, introduction - Statement by the Board of Directors of the Teloglion Art Foundation, pg. 8 -


Biography


Early life (1917–1945)

Constantine Andreou was born in
São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for ' Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the Ga ...
,
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
, in 1917 to
Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
parents who had immigrated to Brazil a few years prior. In 1925, his family moved back to Greece where he settled in
Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
until the end of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. During these years, Andreou dabbled in crafts and for a period worked as a carpenter making furniture while studying technical design. He graduated in 1935. In the same year, he started his study of sculpture, the art form for which he would be most known later. In 1939, Andreou participated at the Panellinio (Πανελλήνιο), but the judges disqualified his three sculptures. In 1942, he tried again at the same competition and with the same artwork. The pieces were so lifelike, he was accused of cheating by copying nature. Three major personalities of the time in Greece,
Memos Makris Memos Makris ( el, Μέμος Μακρής, hu, Makrisz Agamemnon) (born April 1, 1913, in Patras – died May 26, 1993, in Athens) was a prominent Greek sculptor. He spent his early childhood in Patras but his family moved to Athens in 1919. ...
,
John Miliades John Miliades (''Ioannis Miliades'', ''Γιάννης Μηλιάδης'', ''Ιωάννης Μηλιάδης'') (1895-1975) was a Greek people, Greek archaeologist most known for his excavations of the south side of the Acropolis of Athens. Refer ...
, and
Nikos Nikolaou Nikos Nikolaou ( el, Νίκος Νικολάου) (1909–1986) was a major figure in Greek art during the 20th century. In 1929 Nikolaou was admitted into the Athens School of Fine Arts, where he studied under Konstantinos Parthenis and Umberto ...
, came to his defense. As a result of the publicity, he had his first taste of fame and major exposure of his artwork. In 1940, Greece entered World War II on the side of Allies, and by 1941, the country was under
Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...
and Italian occupation. Andreou was initially drafted into the
Hellenic Army The Hellenic Army ( el, Ελληνικός Στρατός, Ellinikós Stratós, sometimes abbreviated as ΕΣ), formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece. The term ''Hellenic'' is the endogenous synonym for ''Greek''. The Hellenic Army is th ...
in 1940 and during the occupation he was an active member of the Greek Resistance. The war years and occupation did not stop Andreou from continuing his artwork and studies, and in 1945 he won a French scholarship to go to France along with many other Greek intellectuals on the ''
RMS Mataroa RMS ''Mataroa'' (formerly named the ''Diogenes'') was a 12,341-ton ocean liner built by Harland & Wolff in 1922. She was scrapped in 1957. In 1945, ''Mataroa'' made two famous journeys: * In August 1945, the ''Mataroa'' was chartered to transpor ...
'' voyage.


Life in France (1945–2002)

In 1947, Andreou began using a new personal technique employing welded copper sheets. This new technique allowed him to create a new way to express his creation in a way completely unrelated to tradition. A major impact on Andreou's method of expression and in the development of his personal "language" was his friendship with Le Corbusier. They first met in 1947 and worked together on and off until 1953. At one time Le Corbusier asked Andreou, "Where did you learn how to work?" to which Andreou responded "I'm Greek, I carry the knowledge within me." This friendship instilled in Andreou Le Corbusier's view of architecture as monumental sculpture and, conversely, sculpture subject to the laws of architecture. In the same period, Andreou became a member of a select group of philosophers, including
Jean-Paul Sartre Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre (, ; ; 21 June 1905 – 15 April 1980) was one of the key figures in the philosophy of existentialism (and phenomenology), a French playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and lit ...
, who discussed various topics in
Saint-Germain-des-Prés Saint-Germain-des-Prés () is one of the four administrative quarters of the 6th arrondissement of Paris, France, located around the church of the former Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Its official borders are the River Seine on the no ...
.pg. 31 - Andreou had his first exhibition in Paris in 1951, where he demonstrated the transformation of his style. In the group exhibition "Seven Greek Sculptors", Andreou was characterized as "the most famous Greek sculptor in the capital with a rich, varied and successful work". By the end of the decade, Andreou was widely known in the
French art French art consists of the visual and plastic arts (including French architecture, woodwork, textiles, and ceramics) originating from the geographical area of France. Modern France was the main centre for the European art of the Upper Paleolith ...
scene and considered an equal to Mondrian, Picasso and Gastaud. In 1982, he was given the lead as chairman of the Paris "Autumn Salon" for sculpture. In 1999, the library of the town
La Ville-du-Bois La Ville-du-Bois () is a Communes of France, commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the Kilometre Zero, center of Paris. Population Inhabitants of La Ville-du-Bois are known as ''Urbisylvains'' in French. Notable ...
, where Andreou resided while in France, was named in honor of Constantine Andreou. Throughout his time in France, he regularly visited his friends and family in Greece and many times exhibited his work in various cities and islands there. In 1977, Andreou bought a centuries old winery on the island of
Aegina Aegina (; el, Αίγινα, ''Aígina'' ; grc, Αἴγῑνα) is one of the Saronic Islands of Greece in the Saronic Gulf, from Athens. Tradition derives the name from Aegina, the mother of the hero Aeacus, who was born on the island and ...
. He converted it into a house, after being influenced to buy a house on the island by his longtime friend and colleague Nikos Nikolaou. There in ancient Aegina in the summer of 1985, together with the namesake poet Evangelos Andreou, Constantine Andreou creates a series of twenty paintings entitled "Polymorphs" that are based on the poet's work "Restoration of a Stone Stalk". (Ανδρέου-Ανδρέου/Andreou-Andreou 1987 Andreou has also participated in the Biennales of Antwerp, the Netherlands,
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
,
Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isla ...
, and Yugoslavia.


Later years and death (2002–2007)

Constantine Andreou returned to Athens, Greece in 2002. He died on October 8, 2007 in his house in Athens, Greece.


Legacy

In 2004, Andreou created the "Costas Andreou Foundation" with the stated goal to promote his work in the arts and the significance of sculpture and painting worldwide. The foundation is also to recognize young and upcoming artists every 3 years with an award, based on the decision of an international judging committee. The first time the award was given in March 2008.


Awards

*''Gran Prix d'
Antoine Pevsner Antoine Pevsner (12 April 1962) was a Russian-born sculptor and the older brother of Alexii Pevsner and Naum Gabo. Both Antoine and Naum are considered pioneers of twentieth-century sculpture. Biography Pevsner was born as Natan Borisovich P ...
'', 1998 *''Croix de Chevalier de la
Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...
'', 2000 *''Officier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres'', 2005


See also

*
Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...
* Ordre des Arts et des Lettres *
La Ville-du-Bois La Ville-du-Bois () is a Communes of France, commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the Kilometre Zero, center of Paris. Population Inhabitants of La Ville-du-Bois are known as ''Urbisylvains'' in French. Notable ...


Notes


References


Institut Francais d' Athenes
on CultureGuide.gr (invalid as of January 2007 - site deactivated as pe

* * Evangelos Andreou, ANDREOU. "The meaning of educational manifestations and the participation of the intellectual man - and four artists", Ed. ABHE RAO – SHANTHA INTERNATIONAL INC., New York – 2002 * Evangelos Andreou, ANDREOU. “Modern Greek Artists”, Ed. Epipeda 1984 – 18th Congress of the International Association of Art Critics (AICA) * Evangelos Andreou, ANDREOU. “Painting Contemporary Trends”, Ed. Epipeda 1985 – Athens, the Civilizing Capital of Europe * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


External links

* ''(at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki#Teloglion Foundation of Art, Teloglion Foundation of Art)'' * ''(at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki#Teloglion Foundation of Art, Teloglion Foundation of Art)''
L'association des "Amis d'Andréou"La Ville-du-Bois official site
* * ''(as Costas Andreou)'' * ''(as Constantin Andreou)'' * {{DEFAULTSORT:Andreou, Constantine 1917 births 2007 deaths People from São Paulo 20th-century French sculptors 20th-century Greek male artists French male sculptors 21st-century sculptors 20th-century French painters French male painters 21st-century French painters 21st-century Greek male artists Greek sculptors Greek Resistance members 20th-century Greek painters 21st-century Greek painters Greek emigrants to France Chevaliers of the Légion d'honneur Greek military personnel of World War II 21st-century Greek sculptors 20th-century Greek sculptors Brazilian emigrants Immigrants to Greece Artists from Athens