Nikolaos Gyzis ( el, Νικόλαος Γύζης ; german: Nikolaus Gysis; 1 March 1842 – 4 January 1901) was considered one of
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
's most important 19th century painters. He was most famous for his work ''
Eros and the Painter
In Greek mythology, Eros (, ; grc, Ἔρως, Érōs, Love, Desire) is the Greek god of love and sex. His Roman counterpart was Cupid ("desire").''Larousse Desk Reference Encyclopedia'', The Book People, Haydock, 1995, p. 215. In the earlie ...
'', his first genre painting. It was auctioned in May 2006 at
Bonhams
Bonhams is a privately owned international auction house and one of the world's oldest and largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. It was formed by the merger in November 2001 of Bonhams & Brooks and Phillips Son & Neale. This brought to ...
in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, being last exhibited in Greece in 1928. He was the major representative of the
Munich School
Munich School ( el, Σχολή του Μονάχου) is the name given to a group of painters who worked in Munich or were trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Munich (german: Münchner Akademie der Bildenden Künste) between 1850 and 19 ...
, the major 19th-century Greek art movement.
Life
Gyzis was born in the village of Sklavochori, on the island of
Tinos
Tinos ( el, Τήνος ) is a Greek island situated in the Aegean Sea. It is located in the Cyclades archipelago. The closest islands are Andros, Delos, and Mykonos. It has a land area of and a 2011 census population of 8,636 inhabitants.
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
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. ...
. His studies there formed the foundation of his artistic education and helped him to develop his natural skill in painting.
In 1865, having won a scholarship, he went to continue his studies at the
Academy of Fine Arts, Munich
The Academy of Fine Arts, Munich (german: Akademie der Bildenden Künste München, also known as Munich Academy) is one of the oldest and most significant art academies in Germany. It is located in the Maxvorstadt district of Munich, in Bavaria, ...
, where he settled for the rest of his life. He was very soon incorporated into the
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
pictorial climate, and became one of its most characteristic representatives of the Greek artistic movement of the
Munich School
Munich School ( el, Σχολή του Μονάχου) is the name given to a group of painters who worked in Munich or were trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Munich (german: Münchner Akademie der Bildenden Künste) between 1850 and 19 ...
. This is expressed in the painting ''
News of Victory of 1871
News is information about current events. This may be provided through many different media: word of mouth, printing, postal systems, broadcasting, electronic communication, or through the testimony of observers and witnesses to events. New ...
'', which deals with the
Franco-Prussian War, and the painting ''
Apotheosis i Thriamvos tis Vavarias'' (Apotheosis or Triumph of Bavaria).
From 1886 onward he was professor at the
Academy of Fine Arts, Munich
The Academy of Fine Arts, Munich (german: Akademie der Bildenden Künste München, also known as Munich Academy) is one of the oldest and most significant art academies in Germany. It is located in the Maxvorstadt district of Munich, in Bavaria, ...
, and gradually turned from the detailed realistic depictions towards compositions of a singularly impressionistic character. His students included
Jan Vochoc
Jan, JaN or JAN may refer to:
Acronyms
* Jackson, Mississippi (Amtrak station), US, Amtrak station code JAN
* Jackson-Evers International Airport, Mississippi, US, IATA code
* Jabhat al-Nusra (JaN), a Syrian militant group
* Japanese Article Numb ...
,
Ernst Oppler
Ernst Oppler (19 September 1867 1 March 1929) was a German Impressionist painter and etcher born in Hanover.
Early life
Ernst Oppler was the son of Edwin Oppler (1831-1880), a prominent German-Jewish architect. Ernst Oppler's brothers were ...
,
Fritz Osswald
Fritz Osswald (23 June 1878 – 24 August 1966) was a Swiss painter, member of the Munich Secession and of the Darmstadt Artists' Colony.
Biography
Fritz Osswald was born in Hottingen (Zürich) on 23 June 1878. The son of sculptor Albert Osswald ...
,
Anna May-Rychter,
Hammersite Auction House and Stefan Popescu (Romanian painter).
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'' and the ''Arravoniasmata'' (
Engagement Ceremony
An engagement or betrothal is the period of time between the declaration of acceptance of a marriage proposal and the marriage itself (which is typically but not always commenced with a wedding). During this period, a couple is said to be ''fi ...
) and a little later the painting ''After the Destruction of
Psara
Psara ( el, Ψαρά, , ; known in ancient times as /, /) is a Greek island in the Aegean Sea. Together with the small island of Antipsara (Population 4) it forms the municipality of Psara. It is part of the Chios regional unit, which is part of ...
''. 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. Gyzis died in
Munich
Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...
.
Legacy
His works are today exhibited at museums and private collections in Greece, Germany, and elsewhere.
Gyzis' painting ''The Secret School'' was depicted on the
reverse
Reverse or reversing may refer to:
Arts and media
* ''Reverse'' (Eldritch album), 2001
* ''Reverse'' (2009 film), a Polish comedy-drama film
* ''Reverse'' (2019 film), an Iranian crime-drama film
* ''Reverse'' (Morandi album), 2005
* ''Reverse'' ...
of the Greek 200
drachmas
The drachma ( el, δραχμή , ; pl. ''drachmae'' or ''drachmas'') was the currency used in Greece during several periods in its history:
# An ancient Greek currency unit issued by many Greek city states during a period of ten centuries, fro ...
banknote of 1996–2001.
Bank of Greece
. Drachma Banknotes & Coins
200 drachmas
– Retrieved on 27 March 2009.
The Athenian
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 ...
neighbourhood Gyzi
Gyzi ( el, Γκύζη ); is a neighbourhood of Athens, Greece.
Etymology
The area was named around 1925 after famous painter Nikolaos Gyzis. By all rights, the neighbourhood should have been called Γύζη (). However, due to the fact that he sig ...
is named for him.
Gallery
File:Nikolaos Gyzis - Historia.png, ''Ηistoria'' (1892)
File:Gysis Nikolaos Capuchin.jpg, ''Capuchin monk''
File:Eros and the painter - gysis.jpg, ''Eros and the Painter''
File:Gysis 003.jpg, ''Learning by Heart''
File:Nikolaos Gyzis - The Barber.jpg, ''The Barber'' (1880)
File:Gysis Nikolaos After the destruction of Psara.jpg, ''After the destruction of Psara''
File:Nikolaos Gyzis - The Orphans.jpg, ''The orphans''
File:Gysis Nikolaos Oriental man with pipe.jpg, ''Oriental man with pipe''
File:Gysis Nikolaos Psyche.jpg, ''Artist's psyche''
File:Gysis 004.jpg, ''Oriental Warrior''
File:Gyzis Nikolaos - Old man wearing a red fez - Google Art Project.jpg, ''Old man wearing a red fez''
File:"Peek-a-Boo" (1882) - Nikolaos Gyzis (1842-1901).jpg, ''Peek-a-Boo'' (1882)
File:Gysis Nikolaos Girl playing.jpg, ''Girl Playing'' (1868)
File:Gysis Nikolaos Pastryman.jpg, ''Pastryman''
File:DOXA-PSARON.jpg, ''The Glory of Psara''
See also
* Munich School
Munich School ( el, Σχολή του Μονάχου) is the name given to a group of painters who worked in Munich or were trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Munich (german: Münchner Akademie der Bildenden Künste) between 1850 and 19 ...
* National Gallery of Athens
The National Gallery ( el, Εθνική Πινακοθήκη, ''Ethniki Pinakothiki'') is an art museum located on Vasilissis Sofias avenue in the Pangrati district, Athens, Greece. It is devoted to Greek and European art from the 14th century ...
* Art in modern Greece
Modern Greek art is art from the period between the emergence of the new independent Greek state and the 20th century.
As Mainland Greece was under Ottoman rule for all four centuries, it was not a part of the Renaissance and artistic movements th ...
* Greek Art
Greek art began in the Cycladic and Minoan civilization, and gave birth to Western classical art in the subsequent Geometric, Archaic and Classical periods (with further developments during the Hellenistic Period). It absorbed influences of ...
* Emfietzoglou Gallery
The Emfietzoglou Gallery Museum is an art gallery in Athens, Greece. It is sited in Marousi near the Athens Metro station. Its founder Prodromos Emfietzoglou gave his private art collection of over 500 works to the public.
These days the Emphiet ...
References
External links
Nikolaos Gyzis's The Secret School and an Ongoing National Discourse by Antonis Danos
National Gallery of Greece
Gallery of Paintings by Nikolaos Gyzis
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gysis, Nicholaos
1842 births
1901 deaths
Greek artists
Academy of Fine Arts, Munich faculty
Academy of Fine Arts, Munich alumni
People from Tinos
19th-century Greek painters
Munich School