Dimitris Mytaras ( el, Δημήτρης Μυταράς; 18 June 1934 – 16 February 2017) was a Greek artist who is considered one of the important Greek painters of the 20th century.
[Greek Painting during 20th century](_blank)
(Summary of an article by Nelly Misirli - Curator of the Greek National Gallery)
His work was mainly inspired by the human figure, and a combination of
naturalism and
expressionism
Expressionism is a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Northern Europe around the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it rad ...
. From the 1960s onward, Mytaras moved in the direction of naturalism, while from 1975 an expressionistic approach became more and more marked in his output.
Biography
Dimitris Mytaras was born in 1934 in
Chalcis
Chalcis ( ; Ancient Greek & Katharevousa: , ) or Chalkida, also spelled Halkida (Modern Greek: , ), is the chief town of the island of Euboea or Evia in Greece, situated on the Euripus Strait at its narrowest point. The name is preserved from ...
. From 1953 till 1957, Mytaras studied at the
Athens School of Fine Arts
The Athens School of Fine Arts (ASFA; el, Ανωτάτη Σχολή Καλών Τεχνών, ΑΣΚΤ, literally: Highest School of Fine Arts), is Greece's premier Art school whose main objective is to develop the artistic talents of its students ...
under
Yiannis Moralis
Yiannis Moralis ( el, Γιάννης Μόραλης; also transliterated Yannis Moralis or Giannis Moralis; 23 April 1916 – 20 December 2009) was an important Greek visual artist and part of the so-called "Generation of the '30s".
Life
B ...
. Later on he studied stage design at the
Ecole Nationale Superieure des Arts Decoratifs in Paris. From 1964 till 1972, he directed the Interior Decoration Workshop of the Athens Technological Institute. Beginning in 1975, he taught at the Painting Workshop of the Athens School of Fine Arts. Mytaras participated in more than 30 international group shows, including the 1972
Venice Biennale
The Venice Biennale (; it, La Biennale di Venezia) is an international cultural exhibition hosted annually in Venice, Italy by the Biennale Foundation. The biennale has been organised every year since 1895, which makes it the oldest of ...
.
[Artist portrait by Greece now](_blank)
/ref> Mytaras died on 16 February 2017 in Athens following major health complications.
Works
During the time of the Greek military junta of 1967-1974
The Greek junta or Regime of the Colonels, . Also known within Greece as just the Junta ( el, η Χούντα, i Choúnta, links=no, ), the Dictatorship ( el, η Δικτατορία, i Diktatoría, links=no, ) or the Seven Years ( el, η Ε ...
, Mytaras sought to comment critically on Greek life through a series of realistic works entitled ''Photographic Documents''.
In later life he turned towards classical themes.
Mytaras was selected to create one of the official posters for the 2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympics ( el, Θερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες 2004, ), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad ( el, Αγώνες της 28ης Ολυμπιάδας, ) and also known as Athens 2004 ( el, Αθήνα 2004), ...
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 ...
.[Olympic museum site](_blank)
See also
* Art in modern Greece
Modern Greek art is art from the period between the emergence of the new independent Greece, Greek state and the 20th century.
As Mainland Greece was under Ottoman Empire, Ottoman rule for all four centuries, it was not a part of the Renaissance an ...
References
External links
Dimitris Mytaras at Euran Global Culture Networks
Documentary Video About Mytara's life and work
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mytaras, Dimitris
1934 births
2017 deaths
People from Chalcis
Greek painters
Members of the Academy of Athens (modern)
Academic staff of the Athens School of Fine Arts