025. MALEAS Constantine (1879-1928)

‘Methana’

Signed oil on board laid on panel 41×47 cm

€ 5.000 – 8.000

An outstanding rendition of a well-known theme by Constantine Maleas, one of the most important post-impressionist Greek artists of the early 20th century. Maleas portrays here what the eyes of the soul see, minimizing realistic elements, employing intense anti-naturalistic colour and light, levelling the pictorial space, gesticulating to compose this work with exceptional vitality and dynamic rhythm resonating throughout the landscape. He rendered Methana with a unique poetic interpretation of nature. The viewpoint is probably from an orchard in Kalloni with the islet at the level of “Krassopanagia”. By carefully observing the sky you see the movement so that you feel that the air on the canvas acquires breath and hum. The trees are distinguished by their anthropomorphism. They become subjects of form research with sculpting in their renderings and wavy curved contours of the foliage.

A.Kotidis “C.Maleas” ADAM publ. 2000 variation shown p.138 Athens Nat. Gallery coll.