Sophia Laskaridou ( el, Σοφία Λασκαρίδου, 1876 – 13 November 1965) was a Greek artist who was well known for her impressionist paintings in the early part of the 20th century. Later she became better known for her life than for her work.

Life

Sophia Laskaridou was born in Athens in 1876. She came from an affluent and cosmopolitan family. Her father, Laskaris Laskaridis, was raised in London. Her mother, Aikaterini Christomanou-Laskaridou, was born and raised in Vienna and was a pioneer of women's education who founded a girls' school in Athens in 1864 and was the first to introduce physical education for girls. Sophia Laskaridou began painting before receiving any artistic education. At first she focused on landscapes, in part because she did not have the knowledge needed to depict figures. Her decision to paint '' en plein air'' was unusual in Greece at the time, particularly for a woman, since there was constant danger from thieves in the countryside. In the period from 1897 to 1907 she participated in important art exhibitions including

Zappeion The Zappeion ( el, Ζάππειον Μέγαρο, Záppeion Mégaro, ) is a large, palatial building next to the National Gardens of Athens in the heart of Athens, Greece. It is generally used for meetings and ceremonies, both official and privat ...

and the International Exhibition of 1903. She studied at the Athens School of Fine Arts from 1903 to 1907 with teachers Konstantinos Volanakis,

Georgios Roilos Georgios Roilos ( el, Γεώργιος Ροϊλός; 1867 – 28 August 1928) was one of the most important and influential Greek painters of the late 19th-early 20th century. He belonged to the so-called "Munich School". His major works include h ...

Nikiforos Lytras Nikiforos Lytras ( el, Νικηφόρος Λύτρας; 1832 – 13 June 1904) was a Greek painter. He was born in Tinos and trained in Athens at the School of Arts. In 1860, he won a scholarship to Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Munich. After co ...

and

Georgios Jakobides Georgios Jakobides (Γεώργιος Ιακωβίδης; 11 January 1853 – 13 December 1932) was a painter and one of the main representatives of the Greek artistic movement of the Munich School. He founded and was the first curator of the Nati ...

. She also studied with

Spyridon Vikatos Spyridon Vikatos ( el, Σπυρίδων Βικάτος; 24 September 1878 – 6 June 1960) was a Greek painter, one of the later members of the Munich School. Life Spyridon Vikatos was born in Argostoli, Cephalonia, in 1878. He was assisted by t ...

. In 1906 she and Thalia Flora staged a joint exhibition, and in 1907 she held a solo exhibition in "Parnassus". In 1908 Laskaridou left for Munich, and from 1908 to 1916 she stayed in Germany and France, where her work received a positive reception. She had obtained a scholarship from the Bozeiou Endowment that allowed her to study in Munich where she received free lessons at the School of the Ladies Association of Artists. In Paris she studied to the Académie de la Grande Chaumière and

Académie Colarossi The Académie Colarossi (1870–1930) was an art school in Paris founded in 1870 by the Italian model and sculptor Filippo Colarossi. It was originally located on the Île de la Cité, and it moved in 1879 to 10 rue de la Grande-Chaumière in the ...

. Her work was shown at the

Salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments * French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home * Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment Arts and entertainment * Salon (P ...

. Laskaridou returned to settle permanently in Greece in 1916. By this time she was considered a prominent artist. She exhibited in 1924 and 1927 and sold many paintings. After this her work only appeared in occasional group exhibitions. Myths gradually developed about her time in Europe, such as that she had affairs with

Pablo Picasso Pablo Ruiz Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist and Scenic design, theatre designer who spent most of his adult life in France. One of the most influential artists of the 20th ce ...

and

Auguste Renoir Pierre-Auguste Renoir (; 25 February 1841 – 3 December 1919) was a French artist who was a leading painter in the development of the Impressionist style. As a celebrator of beauty and especially feminine sensuality, it has been said that " ...

, and these later became accepted as fact. In 1952 she staged a solo retrospective exhibition. She died in Athens in 1965.

Work

Laskaridou's subjects include genre scenes, portraits, still lifes and landscapes. Her style shows the influence of

impressionism Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating ...

. Her goal was to capture light and color in her paintings, with drawing and composition secondary concerns.

Publications

In 1955 Laskaridou published her autobiography, ''From my diary. Memories and contemplations'', covering her time in Germany and France. In 1960 she published ''From my diary. Annex: A big love'', in which she described her love affairs with the poet and essayist Pericles Giannopoulos.

Notes

Sources

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Laskaridou, Sophia 1870s births 1965 deaths Greek painters Greek women painters Artists from Athens Impressionist painters 20th-century Greek women artists École des Beaux-Arts alumni 19th-century Greek painters 20th-century Greek painters