- 60
Michalis Economou
Estimate
20,000 - 30,000 GBP
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Description
- Michalis Economou
- From Oropon (The Road)
- signed M. Economou lower right
- oil on flannel canvas
- 68.5 by 50cm., 27 by 19¾in.
Provenance
Dimitris Staikos, Athens
Private collection, Greece
Private collection, Greece
Exhibited
Possibly, Athens, Parnassos, Economou, 1927, no. 8
Condition
The artist's flannel canvas has not been lined. There is a pattern of hairline craquelure as just faintly visible in the catalogue illustration. Ultra-violet light reveals some relatively minor retouchings notably a circa 5 by 5cm area in the lower-left quadrant and some small strokes in the sky. Otherwise this work is in good overall condition.
Presented in a decorative modern dark-painted frame. The colours in reality are deeper and richer than in the catalogue illustration, which are too bright.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
Painted circa 1926 the present work is a superb example of Economou's poetic landscapes, their characteristic delicate sense of atmosphere conveyed through the use of a restrained palette of earthy tones accentuated by the vibrant blue of the sea and sky.
'All the subjects of Economou's work are taken from nature. In his earliest paintings - landscapes mainly from the South of France but also from Greece - the weathered walls of the houses and mills, the arches of the old bridges and the rocks are 'structured' with dull or greyish tones, splashed uninhibitedly but with a masterful touch on card, linen or canvas, sometimes almost sculpted, at other times as if wiped smooth.' (Aphrodite Kouria, Michalis Economou: An Individualistic Interpreter of Greek Landscapes, Zygos, Athens, 1983, p. 44).
In the present work, the use of this technique as well as the blending of colours and contours lends the painting a hazy, ethereal quality. Within Economou's often almost monochromatic compositions, colour, as a vehicle to convey feelings and create atmosphere, took supremacy. 'Even those subjects which could be used as narrative elements appear in his paintings in a purely chromatic role. Thus the human figures in his paintings - when they do appear - breathe no spark of life into the work: they are merely an excuse for a small area of colour or a patch of brushwork' (Kouria, op. cit.).
'All the subjects of Economou's work are taken from nature. In his earliest paintings - landscapes mainly from the South of France but also from Greece - the weathered walls of the houses and mills, the arches of the old bridges and the rocks are 'structured' with dull or greyish tones, splashed uninhibitedly but with a masterful touch on card, linen or canvas, sometimes almost sculpted, at other times as if wiped smooth.' (Aphrodite Kouria, Michalis Economou: An Individualistic Interpreter of Greek Landscapes, Zygos, Athens, 1983, p. 44).
In the present work, the use of this technique as well as the blending of colours and contours lends the painting a hazy, ethereal quality. Within Economou's often almost monochromatic compositions, colour, as a vehicle to convey feelings and create atmosphere, took supremacy. 'Even those subjects which could be used as narrative elements appear in his paintings in a purely chromatic role. Thus the human figures in his paintings - when they do appear - breathe no spark of life into the work: they are merely an excuse for a small area of colour or a patch of brushwork' (Kouria, op. cit.).